Kamaru Usman praises Rose Namajunas following upset win at UFC 261: “Words can’t describe how proud I am of this woman”

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman praised newly-crowned women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas after her upset win at UFC 261.

Usman put on a stunning performance in the main event when he electrified the crowd with a KO win over Jorge Masvidal, but Namajunas was one of the stars of the show, as well. “Thug” knocked out Weili Zhang in the first round with a nasty head kick to become the new UFC women’s strawweight champion. It was an incredible performance by her once again as she regained the belt she lost to Jessica Andrade nearly two years ago in Brazil.

Following the event, Usman took to his social media to heap praise upon Namajunas for her title fight victory. Check out what “The Nigerian Nightmare” wrote on his Instagram below.

Wow just wow!! Words can’t describe how proud I am of this woman. Talk about the true definition of the word “courage” it’s an honor to watch you prepare and compete. I am truly a fan

It was quite a night for both Usman and Namajunas, as they both rose to the occasion on the UFC’s biggest card of the year. UFC 261 marked the return of fans to the arena as a sold-out crowd of over 15,000 people in Jacksonville, Florida came to see the card headlined by Usman and Masvidal. It turned out to be quite the night, as the card kicked off with a bang on the prelims only to end on a high note on the main card later on.

For Usman, a date with Colby Covington seems logical, while for Namajunas her next options are interesting as Carla Esparza, Yan Xiaonan, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and maybe Tatiana Suarez all have an argument for a title shot, though no one really stands out from the pack right now. Perhaps the winner of Esparza vs. Xiaonan could be next.

What do you think is next for both Kamaru Usman and Rose Namajunas after UFC 261?