After considering retirement due to her reluctance to partake in violence and questioning her passion for the sport, former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has decided to continue her fighting career, reflecting on her warrior’s spirit and aiming to become a two-division UFC champion.
Rose Namajunas, a highly celebrated fighter, found herself contemplating her future in the fighting world following a critical strawweight title loss to Carla Esparza at UFC 274. The underwhelming performance left both fans and Namajunas herself questioning her passion and ability in the sport, especially considering her 14-month hiatus of silence. The future of her fighting career seemed uncertain, with Namajunas admitting she had thought of stepping back for quite some time.
“I definitely thought I was done for a good amount of time,” revealed Namajunas on The MMA Hour. She described her changing feelings about the sport, disclosing how her aggression in the locker room had transformed into a reluctance to purposely cause harm. Namajunas spoke of various factors contributing to her unease, one of which being her spirituality. She questioned if God approved of her competing in a sport so centered around violence, before eventually concluding that she was indeed gifted with a warrior spirit and should continue. “I know I don’t have a ton of time left, but I know He’s not finished with me yet in this chapter,” she expressed, hinting at ongoing goals and aspirations within the sport.
Namajunas carries a decorated career in her 16 fights, being a two-time strawweight champion and holding wins against some of the strongest female fighters, including twice against Zhang Weili, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Jessica Andrade. Despite this successful history, Namajunas admitted that concluding her career with a disappointing loss to Esparza would have left a bitter taste. She elaborated on how she felt a sudden conflict between the inherent violence of the cage and her personal understanding of fighting as an educational and artistic pursuit. It seemed that Namajunas had formed a “fortress” around herself while settling into life beyond fighting.
However, even with these reservations, Namajunas is slated to return to the fight game at flyweight. She is set to face Manon Fiorot, top contender, at UFC Paris on September 2, and seems optimistic about her reentry despite lingering doubts. “I’ve been feeling something special, like a very special energy,” Namajunas, exhibiting an aura of tranquility, claimed. Upon completion of this fight, if Namajunas emerges victorious, she has the opportunity to enter the esteemed list of two-division UFC champions—a prospect that only adds to her already illustrious legacy.-