Athletes
Rose Namajunas | Growing Up On The Biggest Stage
Now 33 Years Old, Former Champion Rose Namajunas Is Hopeful She Can Get Her Hand Raised At UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett And Pursue A Shot At The Flyweight Belt
Few fighters have done it the way former 2-time champion Rose Namajunas has in her nearly 12 years with UFC. She first showed up on The Ultimate Fighter in 2014 with three professional fights to her name, submitting three opponents to earn a place in the inaugural strawweight title fight.
Namajunas would fall short, but 35 months later, “Thug Rose” shocked the MMA world when she defeated Joanna Jędrzejczyk via knockout, the first such finish of Namajunas’ career. Her only other knockout win came 3-and-a-half years later when she head-kicked Zhang Weili to regain the strawweight belt. As she did against Jędrzejczyk, Namajunas defended the title in an immediate rematch and has since moved up to the flyweight division, where she is 3-2.
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It’s been quite the ride for the 33-year-old, who looks to secure her second win in a row when she faces Natalia Silva at UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett. When asked to reflect on the last 12 years, Namajunas admits hearing that number makes her “a little teary-eyed.”
“I'm just grateful,” Namajunas told UFC.com. “Just blessed to be able to experience the things that I've experienced, and to come into contact with the people that I've come into contact with, and just affect people and be somewhat of an inspiration to people, like when people light up to see me and genuinely just seem happy to see me, it feels really good.”
Whether it is the vulnerability Namajunas shows after her biggest moments, the style with which she fights, or the down-to-earth approach she takes to her life, people connect with the Colorado resident.
Growing up on the biggest stage and in the brightest spotlight is taxing. Even if all interactions with strangers were positive, life as a public figure isn’t natural to most. Namajunas has navigated that dynamic openly, all while garnering a reputation as one of the more skilled mixed martial artists on the roster and a real-ones-know sort of favorite fighter to watch. Ultimately, Namajunas is just herself, and people respond to that.
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“Every time it's like the same battle against yourself,” Namajunas said. “For the most part, you're always just trying to—I mean, you obviously care, like, you need to care, and you need to try hard and you need a win, and like, you need to do all these things—but then at the end of the day, it's only up to God if I even breathe today. I can't really have control over all that, so you kind of have to let go of that result, and you kind of have to just kind of let things be and just show up and do your best. And then, you know, let God do the rest.”
Originally slated to face former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, Namajunas perked up when top contender Silva stepped up on short notice when Grasso pulled out of the bout.
Rose Namajunas | Best Moments
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Rose Namajunas | Best Moments
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Silva is the leader of a pack of flyweight contenders who made their way up the ladder in the last few years, a group which includes Erin Blanchfield, Jasmine Jasudavicius, and Manon Fiorot. The 28-year-old arrived at UFC in June 2022 and has impressed many, picking up wins in each of her seven Octagon appearances and defeating the likes of Grasso, Jéssica Andrade, and Viviane Araújo.
“I definitely got a flush of like, all right, you know, this is a step up. Natalia is, I think more, dangerous. And I think she's more, dynamic, obviously. And she's just higher ranked. So, she's going to bring different challenges. I was very excited, but also like, time to step it up. This is what I do this for."
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Silva jumped to the front of the line to challenge champion Valentina Shevchenko when she outclassed Grasso at UFC 315, and while one could argue she could have waited for a title fight, she is hoping to solidify that claim against a former champion in Namajunas.
“I'm just super grateful because not many people would put that on the line,” Namajunas said. “That's how much she believes in herself, and she obviously knows, and she recognizes the things that I bring to the table as well. That's a lot of respect coming from her. I reciprocate that respect because she was in line for the title shot, but unfortunately, I'm here to ruin that and take it from her because I want to be next.”
Namajunas knows Silva’s speed is going to present challenges, complementing the Brazilian’s ability to frustrate opponents with her quickness before crashing in with skillful striking. However, Namajunas is confident in her own footwork, distance-management and length (she stands an inch taller than Silva with an identical, 65-inch reach).
Paired with her experience against the best to have graced the Octagon for the last decade, she is hopeful she can get her hand raised on January 24 and jump the queue for a shot at Shevchenko, who Namajunas cites as one of her favorite fighters. The two have shared a cordial relationship, but the chance to capture a second belt (and thus become just the second woman to do so) means putting friendships on the back burner.
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“That would be the ultimate test for me,” Namajunas said. “(Shevchenko) is, in my opinion, the greatest women's fighter if not right there like neck-and-neck with Amanda (Nunes). I just feel like that would be everything for me. I don't think there's much else that would—it would be like a culmination of my whole entire career.”
Before that comes the task at hand on UFC’s first show of 2026, yet another chapter to the already-stuffed story that is Namajunas’ career.
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 24, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!