Rose Namajunas got a big reality check at the start of her MMA career.
‘Thug’ was just 22 years old when she went on an incredible three-fight submission streak to earn a spot in The Ultimate Fighter season 20 finale.
The long-running MMA reality TV show sees selected combatants live in a house together for several weeks as they face off in a bid to win a UFC contract.
Namajunas’ series was a bit different as she and her housemates were competing for the chance to become the UFC’s inaugural strawweight champion.
Carla Esparza also picked up three wins and secured her place in the final, but all the talk ahead of their title fight in December 2014 was about Namajunas.
Excited MMA fans compared the blonde submission specialist to Ronda Rousey, who had revolutionised the sport and became a global superstar a couple of years earlier.
Namajunas has since admitted that the praise got to her head.
“I didn’t really care about Carla,” she said in December 2022.
“You know, I didn’t think she was on my level.
“Being called the next Ronda Rousey, you don’t think anybody is on your level.”
On fight night, Namajunas found out Esparza was actually a level above her.
‘Cookie Monster’ out grappled her from the first bell and ultimately scored a third-round submission win to become the UFC’s first 115lb titleholder.
Namajunas took the devastating defeat in stride and quickly became one of Dana White’s hottest prospects after penning a deal with MMA’s premier promotion.
The American shaved off her hair to avoid any unnecessary comparisons and a ‘beauty pageant’ ahead of her submission win over Paige VanZant in December 2015.
Namajunas became a champion when she shocked the world by knocking out Joanna Jedrzejczyk 23 months later.
The 32-year-old beat Jedrzejczyk over five rounds in an immediate rematch before surrendering her title to Jessica Andrade, who scored a bizarre slam KO.
Namajunas avenged that defeat – at UFC 251 in 2020 – and won strawweight gold again by stopping Weili Zhang inside one round in April 2021.
Later in the year, she solidified her status as the best 155lb fighter in MMA when she once again beat Zhang, but this time she needed some help from the judges.
At UFC 274, Namajunas finally got the chance to avenge her famous defeat to Esparza but appeared to freeze and ultimately lost again after a poor fight Joe Rogan called ‘the stinker of all stinkers’.
A second loss to Esparza triggered more change for Namajunas, who decided to bulk up and take a run at the flyweight belt currently held by Alexa Grasso.
Manon Fiorot spoiled her debut but she’s since got a 125lb win over Amanda Ribas.
Namajunas hopes to continue her title charge when she takes on #11 ranked contender Tracey Cortez, who is currently riding an impressive 11-fight win streak since losing her MMA debut in 2017.
A victory would put her in line to become a two-weight champion, but another loss would lead to calls for Namajunas to move back to strawweight and fight women her size.
News Summary:
- I lost because Ronda Rousey comparisons got to my head – now I’m a two-time UFC champion hoping to win another belt
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