Rose Namajunas earns her first win as a UFC flyweight. Her second run could push her back into championship territory.
There is no shortage of potential opponents for Namajunas, who earned a unanimous decision win over Amanda Rivas in the main event of UFC Vegas 89 on Saturday. Namajunas brings a lot of prestige in any fight given his history as a two-time strawweight champion, but he will need to beat a top-five contender to have a shot at the title at 125 pounds.
Namajunas named several candidates in the wake of her recent victory, but one in particular caught her attention: Macy Barber.
Asked at the UFC Vegas 89 post-fight press conference why he wanted to fight Barber, Namajunas replied, “I think she's a savage.” “She's a big girl, she's strong, but she's just a bully. I've known her since she was really young, but she's changed a lot now. She used to talk to me a lot when she was younger. But she's really tough and I think that definitely inspires me and cheers me up every day because she's really tough Because I know that I'm holding and throwing.
“But other people are cool too. Erin Blanchfield, Manon” [Fiorot]title [shot], it doesn't matter. ”
Barber has been on a roll since losing to future champion Alexa Grasso, winning six straight. Most recently, she knocked out perennial title contender Katrin Cerminara at UFC 299, securing her position for a fight against the No. 1 contender.
Currently, Grasso and former champion Valentina Shevchenko are scheduled to be the coaches for next season. ultimate fighter 32so they are on the sidelines for the time being, with their flyweight title shot up in the air.
Although Namajunas lost her flyweight debut to Manon Fioroto, her impressive run in the strawweight division made her one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. She is also willing to use her notoriety if her matchmaker wants to get her into a championship match quickly.
“If they want to give me a title chance, I think I would be willing to do it,” Namajunas said. “I lost to Manon Fiorotto, and she was fighting Erin Blanchfield and she wanted a title fight, so I know how things work, and… You know you have to earn something. If things had gone a little differently. [against Manon] I probably would have been in that title shot after Manon.
“It was also kind of weird not to be ranked. Can I be ranked now? So I think it disappointed me a little bit. But it was kind of cool and I was happy. Just the champion I think it's cool in a way to move up a weight class and work your way up, rather than just jump into a superfight, champion vs. champion match as soon as you get up and do it that way.My opinion Now, I think it's much more impressive to become a champion this way, but at the same time, if they want to give it to me, I'll accept it.”
Namajunas is currently No. 14 in the mixed martial arts pound-for-pound rankings and should be expected to be the number next to her name in the UFC's official rankings after she surpasses Rivas. Although “Thug Rose” was able to use her grappling to win some of her fights against Rivas, she admitted that she is still adjusting to competing in a heavier weight class.
“I actually felt pretty good,” Namajunas said. “I had some things to work on. I wasn’t as fast as I wanted to be, I didn’t feel as snappy, but my arms were a little bigger, but I also felt stronger. I think people think they're small or weak or something like that, so it's good to get better in terms of grappling and keep all your skills at a high level so you don't have weaknesses anywhere.”
