Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Overview

Nine UFC wins, and eight of them went to the judges. Karolina Kowalkiewicz is a strawweight who fights for all fifteen minutes, and her 9-10 UFC record reflects a career of close, scored fights rather than finishes.

The Lodz native, who trains with Gracie Barra Lodz, debuted in December 2015 and has been a fixture in the division for nearly a decade. Her overall professional record across all promotions is 16-10-0.

She carries a three-fight losing streak into her next bout. The depth of her UFC run is the story, not the current skid.

UFC Career

The start was clean. Kowalkiewicz won her first three UFC fights, over Randa Markos, Heather Clark and Rose Namajunas, the last by split decision at UFC 201. Then came the biggest stage of her run: a five-round fight with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 205, which she lost by unanimous decision. We rate Jedrzejczyk a strong opponent.

A first-round submission loss to Claudia Gadelha at UFC 212 followed, and she rebounded with decision wins over Jodie Esquibel and Felice Herrig. Then Jessica Andrade stopped her in the first round at UFC 228, 1:58 in.

From 2019 through 2021 the losses piled up: Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Alexa Grasso, Yan Xiaonan, then a first-round submission to Jessica Penne. Four straight defeats.

She answered with her longest win streak, four fights. Herrig again, this time by second-round submission, then decisions over Silvana Gomez Juarez, Vanessa Demopoulos and Diana Belbita.

Since then it has turned the other way. Decision losses to Iasmin Lucindo and Denise Gomes were followed by a third-round TKO loss to Julia Polastri at 2:56.

Two runs of four. One went each way.

Fighting Style

Kowalkiewicz is a busy striker who throws a lot and is hard to hit. She still absorbs more than most, and her accuracy is about average, so her edge comes from output rather than precision.

The grappling picture is lopsided. She rarely shoots for takedowns and rarely hunts for submissions, but she is very difficult to take down. That fits a fighter who wants the fight standing.

Eight of her nine UFC wins came by decision. Her one finish was a second-round submission. She has been finished four times herself, twice by KO/TKO and twice by submission.

Notable Wins

• Rose Namajunas — split decision, round 3, UFC 201 (2016)
• Felice Herrig — split decision, round 3, UFC 223 (2018)
• Felice Herrig — submission, round 2 (4:01), UFC Fight Night (2022)

Quick Facts

• Division: Women's Strawweight
• UFC record: 9-10
• Professional record (all promotions): 16-10-0
• UFC debut: December 18, 2015
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'3" / 64"
• Team: Gracie Barra Lodz
• Born: Lodz, Poland