Joanna Jedrzejczyk has been retired for three years, mostly keeping a low profile outside of the occasional UFC crowd shot while enjoying life away from the spotlight. A few months ago, while speaking in a casual walk-and-talk interview in London with social media host Elz the Witch, the former UFC strawweight champion and Hall of Famer admitted that she had second thoughts about retiring. “I retired three years ago. [But] I keep regretting this,” she said, explaining that her decision came at a time when she was in a relationship and thought she was ready for the next chapter, one that included family. But as she put it, “life is so unpredictable,” and those plans didn’t work out.
Now 38, Jedrzejczyk continues to pop up in unexpected ways, drawing attention both inside and outside the MMA community. Earlier this month she was spotted at the UFC Paris card, where she met musician Jelly Roll and shared a photo that made waves in combat sports circles. Most recently, she’s turned her attention to a more meaningful cause, helping raise awareness for a young man battling cancer by promoting his fundraiser on her social platforms.
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk offers support to 17-year-old
Earlier today, Joanna Jedrzejczyk took to her Instagram stories to share a screenshot from the Cancer Fighters page, highlighting a fundraising campaign for 17-year-old Damian Baszyński. The post showed that Damian urgently needs support, and Jedrzejczyk added four powerful words to her message: “Damianie! nie jesteś sam!” which translates to “Damian! You are not alone!”
Damian’s fight began when what seemed like nothing more than head pain and an unfortunate fracture turned into something far more serious. After an X-ray, doctors discovered additional concerns, leading to an MRI, tomography, and biopsy. The diagnosis came swiftly: osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Scans revealed possible metastases in his lungs, which, while inactive, added another layer of gravity to his condition.
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Despite treatment, Damian’s condition worsened. Two weeks into therapy, new swelling appeared around his shoulder. Further imaging showed the cancer had not only persisted but grown more aggressive. Doctors reached the difficult conclusion that amputation of his entire left arm, including the shoulder joint, was the only viable option. With the lung lesions remaining stable, surgery was performed, and Damian resumed chemotherapy thereafter.
Now, Damian faces a long and difficult road ahead. In addition to ongoing treatment, he urgently needs financial support for hospital travel, a specialized diet, supplements, rehabilitation, and prosthetics. A cosmetic prosthesis alone costs about 35,000 PLN, and while just over 149,000 PLN has been raised so far from 58 donors, more than 150,000 PLN is still needed to cover all expenses. With Joanna Jedrzejczyk bringing attention to his fight, there’s hope that even more people will rally behind Damian as he continues his battle to reclaim his life.
And there’s reason for hope. After all, fans previously rallied to raise over €70,000 for a paralyzed Irish UFC fighter, with doctors now confident he will walk again.
When Conor McGregor stepped up for a fellow fighter
Four years ago, Dublin’s Ian Coughlan, a fighter with a 4-1 amateur record and 1-1 as a pro, suffered a devastating spinal injury that left him paralyzed. Doctors told him he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair and require daily care. But Coughlan refused to give up on his dream of walking again.
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Later, his family launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of advanced treatments in Germany, including stem cell therapy and HAL rehabilitation. The estimated cost was €73,000, and the doctors expressed confidence that the procedures could not only restore some independence but potentially get him walking again.