UFC women’s strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz doesn’t plan on letting her defeat at the Apex this past weekend mark the end of her journey in MMA.
Kowalkiewicz, who has amassed 18 fights worth of Octagon experience since debuting way back in 2015, returned for her second assignment of the year in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 100 featured preliminary bout.
The Polish standout had hoped to bounce back against Denise Gomes after dropping a decision to the fast-rising Iasmin Lucindo this past May at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.
But the 39-year-old once again fell short to a young Brazilian fighter, with “Dee” also getting the nod on all three scorecards following 15 minutes of action.
A day on from her second straight setback, Kowalkiewicz took to her Instagram Story to address her supporters.
The Polish veteran gave an honest assessment of her performance and the result, admitting that Gomes was simply better. That fact hasn’t, however, brought her to the brink of calling it quits.
“Hey guys, I’m so sorry. But thank you for your support, for your love. I’m okay, as you can see, I’m okay, just my heart is broken,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I had a really great fight camp, perfect weight-cutting, I felt really, really good. Really good shape, but my opponent, she’s better than me, what can I say?
“Give me some time and see you soon. I’m not going to retire, don’t worry,” Kowalkiewicz added.
It remains to be seen what comes next for Kowalkiewicz, but it appears certain that fans haven’t seen the last of the former KSW women’s flyweight champion inside the Octagon.
Gomes, meanwhile, has now won two on the bounce since failing to climb the ladder against Angela Hill in November 2023. The Brazilian will no doubt look to keep her sights on those above her in pursuit of a spot in contention.
