Rose Namajunas News

Adam D Martin - November 7, 2021

UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas wants to fight Carla Esparza next following her big win over Weili Zhang at UFC 268. Namajunas edged out a split decision over Zhang in a razor-thin fight that served as the co-main event of UFC 268. It was another fantastic performance by Namajunas, who overcame a slow start to turn it on late and steal the decision on the judges’ scorecards. Namajunas is now 2-0 over Zhang and it seems unlikely that the UFC will run back an immediate trilogy fight, so it seems likely that Namajunas will get a new opponent next.

Adam D Martin - November 7, 2021

UFC women’s strawweight champ Rose Namajunas discussed the trash-talking that was taking place during her rematch with Zhang Weili at UFC 268. Namajunas and Zhang met in the co-main event of UFC 268 in what was a highly-anticipated rematch between the current 115lbs women’s champ and the former champion. These two previously met back at UFC 261 in April, and it was Namajunas who landed a perfect head kick on Zhang and finished her with strikes. The rematch this time around was a much closer fight as both women had their moments in the bout. But ultimately it was the judges who sided with Namajunas winning the fight unanimously.

Adam D Martin - November 7, 2021

Weili Zhang issued a statement following her split decision loss to UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas at UFC 268. Zhang fought as hard as she could over the course of 25 minutes, but ultimately it was Namajunas who edged out a narrow split decision on the judges’ scorecards. For Zhang, it is her second straight defeat to Namajunas after losing via head kick KO earlier this year at UFC 261. This second fight was much closer, and some fans even thought that Zhang deserved to win, but ultimately it was Namajunas who edged out the split decision win.

Christopher Taylor - November 7, 2021

Zhang Weili was hoping to reclaim the strawweight title when she squared off with Rose Namajunas tonight at Madison Square Garden. Zhang (21-2 MMA) and Namajunas (11-4 MMA) had originally clashed back at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug’ emerging victorious by way of knockout.

Chris Taylor - November 6, 2021

Tonight’s UFC 268 event was co-headlined by a women’s strawweight title fight rematch between Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. Namajunas (11-4 MMA) and Zhang (21-2 MMA) had originally clashed back at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug’ emerging victorious by way of knockout.

Chris Taylor - November 6, 2021

Tonight’s UFC 268 event is co-headlined by a women’s strawweight title fight rematch between Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. Namajunas (10-4 MMA) and Zhang (21-2 MMA) initially squared off back at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug’ emerging victorious by way of knockout.

Christopher Taylor - November 6, 2021

Zhang Weili is looking to make a statement when she squares off with Rose Namajunas for a second time in tonight’s UFC 268 co-main event. Zhang (21-2 MMA) and Namajunas (10-4 MMA) originally collided back at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug Rose’ emerging victorious by way of first round knockout.

Chris Taylor - November 5, 2021

The Octagon returns to Madison Square Garden for UFC 268, a fourteen-bout fight card headlined by a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington. Usman (19-1 MMA) and Covington (16-2 MMA) originally collided back at UFC 245 in December of 2019, with the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ emerging victorious by of a thrilling fifth round TKO.

Cole Shelton - November 3, 2021

In the co-main event of UFC 268, Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang are running it back just seven months after Namajunas scored a 78-second TKO win. Heading into the fight, the champ is a +100 underdog while Zhang is the -120 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their prediction for the scrap. The pros are nearly unanimous in thinking Namajunas defends her belt again and likely does it by stoppage again.

Drake Riggs - October 19, 2021

Despite the strawweight division being loaded with contenders, Zhang Weili will get an instant rematch with new champion Rose Namajunas. First colliding with Namajunas at UFC 261 in April, Zhang (21-2) attempted to defend her 115-pound UFC crown for just the second time – her first coming over the legendary Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2020. Unfortunately for China’s first promotional titleholder, “Magnum” fell to a quick head kick knockout in only 78 seconds.

Drake Riggs - October 7, 2021

Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili are set to lock horns once again. As their UFC 268 rematch draws near on Nov. 6, the former champion turned challenger in Zhang has made some changes by altering her appearance with a new hairstyle as well as moving her training camp stateside.

Drake Riggs - October 4, 2021

Henry Cejudo is feeling rather confident in his new training partner. Ahead of her upcoming title fight rematch with Rose Namajunas, former champion Zhang Weili has taken her talents to the U.S. where she’s training in Scottsdale. Aiding “Magnum” at the Fight Ready team along the way is none other than the former dual-division titlist in Cejudo.

Drake Riggs - September 6, 2021

Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili are set to collide once more. With the fight now official for UFC 268 on Nov. 6 in New York City at the world-famous Madison Square Garden, opening odds for the strawweight title rematch have been released.

Chris Taylor - August 28, 2021

Two title fights are now official for November’s UFC 268 event, including a women’s strawweight rematch between Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. Namajunas (10-4 MMA) and Zhang (21-2 MMA) originally collided at April’s UFC 261 event, with ‘Thug Rose’ walking away a nasty first round finish (see that here).

Chris Taylor - August 21, 2021

Chris Weidman believes that “bad juju” from his gruesome injury at UFC 261 played a part in Weili Zhang’s title loss to Rose Namajunas. Weidman (15-6 MMA), a former UFC middleweight champion, squared off with perennial division contender Uriah Hall on April 24 in Jacksonville. The contest lasted all of seventeen seconds, as the first kick that Chris threw was checked by Hall and resulted in ‘The All American’ breaking his leg.

Drake Riggs - July 28, 2021

Zhang Weili is making it clear that she has accepted her first loss since her debut — but not without first overcoming the pain that came with it. The UFC’s first Chinese champion is currently in the middle of having a mini-documentary release where she’s gone into great detail about some moments in her career — including her most recent fight.

Adam D Martin - May 31, 2021

Joanna Jedrzejczyk has shot down the idea of a title fight rematch between Carla Esparza and UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Jedrzejczyk hasn’t fought since UFC 248 in March 2020, when she lost a spirited split decision to former champ Weili Zhang in one of the best fights of last year. Since then, the Polish fighter hasn’t stepped back into the Octagon, but she is hoping to return to the cage later this year, and she has been adamant that she fights for the belt when she returns. However, Esparza’s recent TKO win over Yan Xiaonan would indicate she’s next in line.

Adam D Martin - May 30, 2021

UFC women’s strawweight contender Carla Esparza hopes the UFC gives her the next title shot against Rose Namajunas, saying “Come on Dana.” Esparza is coming off of an incredible TKO win over Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 27 last weekend that was the statement she needed to make in order to earn a title shot with Namajunas. Esparza has now won her last five fights in a row, including notable victories over the likes of Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson during that stretch, and she’s hoping that the win over Yan in such devastating fashion will earn her the next title shot.