Klaudia Sygula Aims for Redemption in UFC Return

Baku, Azerbaijan — Klaudia Sygula is ready for her second chance in the UFC following a tough debut last November. The Polish fighter, who has a professional MMA record of 6-2 but is 0-1 in the UFC, faced major challenges leading up to her first fight. She lost by TKO to Melissa Mullins, a result she attributes partly to personal turmoil.

“To be honest, my debut was not good,” Sygula said in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. Just a day after she received her UFC contract, her coach, renowned combat trainer, was arrested in connection with a cold case murder. “It was really hard for me because I was left alone and I had to rely only on myself,” she added.

Despite the setback, Sygula persevered. She had just three weeks to prepare for her fight, during which she faced issues securing travel documents and struggled to cut weight. “I wasn’t in good shape. I had 12 kilograms to cut. It was not a good camp, and I was not in good shape,” Sygula explained. She had to fly to Las Vegas, facing tight timelines leading up to the weigh-ins.

After the fight, she connected with former UFC title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz, who was also on the card. Their shared experiences fostered a supportive relationship as they both processed their defeats. Sygula described how meeting Kowalkiewicz and her coach, Marcos ‘Parrumpa’ De Matta, influenced her decision to seek a new training home.

“If I want to be a professional fighter, I have to have professional people around me,” Sygula recalled De Matta telling her. This pivotal moment pushed her to join American Top Team (ATT) in Florida, where she trained with elite fighters like Kayla Harrison and Dakota Ditcheva.

As she prepares for her upcoming fight in Baku, Sygula feels transformed. “I’m sure they will see me, ‘real’ Klaudia,” she said. “The UFC deserves more. My supporters deserve more. I hope this time, they will see a better version of me.”