Rose Namajunas News

Adam Martin - December 16, 2020

Team Rose Namajunas has refuted UFC president Dana White’s claims that she does not want a title shot against strawweight champ Weili Zhang. After beating Jessica Andrade by split decision at UFC 251 in a “Fight of the Night” performance on Fight Island this past summer, White said that Namajunas was next in line to fight Zhang. Very recently we heard that the UFC was close to figuring out a date for this bout, but it appears that it might not happen now. On Wednesday, White made comments to BT suggesting that Namajunas isn’t interested in a title shot against Zhang and that the promotion is considering giving the next title shot to former champ Carla Esparza instead.

Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020

Former UFC strawweight champ Rose Namajunas has opened up on the traumatizing experience of being on the bus Conor McGregor infamously attacked back in 2018. The incident occurred at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, NY when McGregor, in a frenzied search for his nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov, hurled a dolly through the window of a bus carrying a number of UFC fighters—Namajunas included.

Tom Taylor - September 13, 2020

The UFC is working on a strawweight title fight between reigning champion Weili Zhang and the division’s former champion, Rose Namajunas, per the promotion’s president Dana White. White was asked what’s next for Zhang at the conclusion of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 10 card, which was headlined by a clash of ranked strawweights in Michelle Waterson and Angela Hill.

Tom Taylor - July 16, 2020

Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas believes she’s the next woman in line for the reigning champion Weili Zhang. Whenever the matchup happens, she expects it to be a beautiful display of martial arts. Namajunas discussed this compelling strawweight matchup in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. She says she believes that’s what’s next for her, but concedes that it’s far from official just yet.

Chris Taylor - July 11, 2020

A rematch between women’s strawweight standouts Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade took place on tonight’s UFC 251 main card. The pair of former champions had first met back in May of 2019 at UFC 237, with Andrade emerging victorious by way of knockout from a viscous slam to claim the promotions strawweight title.

Chris Taylor - July 11, 2020

A rematch between women’s strawweight standouts Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas takes place on tonight’s UFC 251 main card. The pair of former champions first met back in May of 2019 at UFC 237, with Andrade emerging victorious by way of knockout from a viscous slam to claim the promotions strawweight title.

Cole Shelton - July 10, 2020

On the stacked UFC 251 card Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas are set to have their highly-anticipated rematch. Heading into the fight, the Brazilian, Andrade, is  a +175 underdog while the American is a -225 favorite. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. Although Andrade won the first fight by KO at UFC 237, the majority believe it will be Namajunas who gets the job done.

Natasha Hooper - July 8, 2020

Jessica Andrade plans on shutting down any doubters by sealing her second win against Rose Namajunas at UFC 251. The fighters first faced off at UFC 237 when Andrade managed to score a TKO in the second round. Many felt the strawweight’s statement knockout win was a fluke. Now, the 28-year is old is ready to prove naysayers wrong for a second time.

Cole Shelton - May 28, 2020

Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade will be running it back. According to Combate, the UFC is in negotiations with Namajunas and Andrade to have the rematch take place on July 11 at UFC 251.

Adam Martin - May 17, 2020

UFC president Dana White said that as far as he’s aware Rose Namajunas is the lone UFC fighter to not want to fight during the coronavirus pandemic. Namajunas was set to fight Jessica Andrade at the original UFC 249 card but understandably withdrew from the event after several members of her family passed away from COVID-19. The promotion told fighters on the roster during a conference call that no one is forced to fight during the coronavirus pandemic and it wouldn’t be held against any fighter if they choose not to fight.

Cole Shelton - April 23, 2020

Weili Zhang is one of the newer UFC champions but she has been undefeated inside the Octagon. The China native won the belt last August with a quick knockout win over Jessica Andrade. She then defended her title in an absolute war against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. Zhang has shown her knockout power but has also proven she has the cardio to go five hard rounds and keep coming forward. She also has good takedown defense and solid jiu-jitsu leaving her hard to beat. But, the strawweight division has a plethora of challenges like Tatiana Suarez, Rose Namajunas, and rematches with Jedrzejczyk and Andrade.

Tom Taylor - April 9, 2020

On Wednesday night, news surfaced that former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been forced out of her planned UFC 249 rematch with Jessica Andrade. Now we know why.

Cole Shelton - April 8, 2020

One of the biggest questions in all of MMA is who is the GOAT? Is it someone who had the biggest impact on the sport or the person who won the most? It’s an interesting debate for fighters and fans alike to have at any time. So, with little MMA on for the foreseeable future, BJPENN.com reached out to several current fighters to ask who the strawweight GOAT is. For many, it still is Joanna Jedrzejczyk but Rose Namajunas is right there.

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2020

Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas says she was offered a title shot opposite reigning champ Weili Zhang, but decided to turn down the opportunity. Namajunas opened up on this would-be title fight, and explained why she turned it down, on a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast. She says she simply wasn’t sure that she wanted to continue fighting at the time — which is a pretty good reason not to fight the division’s top fighter.

Cole Shelton - February 24, 2020

Joanna Jedrzejczyk wants her potential first title defense to be a big money fight and she believes that is the trilogy against Rose Namajunas. In the co-main event of UFC 248, Jedrzejczyk will take on Weili Zhang in the Chinese champion’s first title defense. It is a fight the Pole is confident she will win as she knows she’s the better fighter and will reclaim her throne on March 7.

Tom Taylor - January 9, 2020

A rematch between former UFC strawweight champions Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade is “close to being finalized” for the UFC 249 card on April 18 in Brooklyn, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade 2 is close to being finalized for UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn, according to multiple sources.

Tom Taylor - November 12, 2019

Rose Namajunas has lost and rediscovered her passion for fighting. The former UFC strawweight champion detailed her complicated relationship with combat on Monday’s edition of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 4, 2019

Kenny Florian thinks Rose Namajunas and Joanna Jedrzejczyk have a good chance at giving Weili Zhang problems. Zhang made history at UFC Shenzhen. She defeated Jessica Andrade via TKO in 42 seconds to capture the UFC strawweight title. This makes Zhang the first UFC champion born in China.