Rose Namajunas’ Quiet Storm
On November 4, 2017, Rose Namajunas stopped Joanna Jędrzejczyk in the first round at UFC 217 in New York to win the UFC women’s strawweight championship. The upset announced “Thug Rose” as a champion capable of changing a fight with precise striking. A later title-winning knockout of Zhang Weili gave her a second reign before her move to flyweight.
Two-time UFC strawweight champion
Rose Namajunas was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 20, losing to Carla Esparza in the 2014 final. She claimed the strawweight title by stopping Joanna Jędrzejczyk with first-round strikes at UFC 217 in 2017. She lost the belt to Jéssica Andrade in 2019, then regained it with a first-round knockout of Zhang Weili at UFC 261. Namajunas defended the title against Zhang in their rematch before losing a split decision to Carla Esparza at UFC 274.
Namajunas is known for footwork, precision striking, and the ability to change tactics against aggressive opponents. She has repeatedly returned to championship contention after setbacks, winning the title against Jędrzejczyk and Zhang, then defeating each opponent again in a rematch.
Moving up to flyweight
Namajunas made her flyweight debut against Manon Fiorot in 2023 and lost by unanimous decision. She rebounded with wins over Amanda Ribas, Tracy Cortez, and Miranda Maverick, but also dropped a decision to Erin Blanchfield in November 2024. In January 2026, she met Natalia Silva at UFC 324 and lost another unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 29–28.
The rematches that strengthened her title claims
Namajunas followed her first Jędrzejczyk victory with a five-round unanimous decision in their UFC 223 rematch on April 7, 2018. Her second title reign followed a different path: after knocking Zhang out at UFC 261, she retained the belt by split decision over five rounds at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021.
Those results distinguish her championship runs from a career defined only by spectacular finishes. She also had to manage the pace of longer rematches, make adjustments against familiar opponents and protect a lead through championship rounds. Both title-winning performances and successful defenses form part of her strawweight record.
Sources
- UFC: Namajunas wins the title against Jędrzejczyk
- UFC: Namajunas fight record
- UFC: UFC 268 results
- UFC: UFC 324 results
Article Tags
Rose Namajunas, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Zhang Weili, Carla Esparza, Natalia Silva, UFC, Strawweight, Flyweight
