Rose Namajunas says becoming crossover star like Ronda Rousey ‘definitely going to happen eventually’

LAS VEGAS — Movies. Late-night talk shows. Clothing deals.

There’s much more to Ronda Rousey than just being the UFC women’s bantamweight title. Rousey is a mainstream, crossover star.

When Rose Namajunas looks into her own personal crystal ball, she sees all the same things for herself.

“I feel like I’ve been doing such a good job at such a young age and so early on in my career, I have a lot of time to really develop myself as a person and getting more experience with it,” Namajunas said Wednesday at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale media day. “If it doesn’t happen right now, it’s definitely going to happen eventually.”

Namajunas, 22, takes on Carla Esparza in the UFC’s inaugural women’s strawweight title fight at the TUF 20 Finale on Friday night here at Palms Casino Resort. A victory would put Namajunas alongside Rousey as the only female champions in the UFC. But the comparisons won’t end there. Both are blonde, attractive, charismatic and have an aggressive fighting style that makes people gravitate toward the television whenever they’re in the cage.

UFC president Dana White was actually the first person to make the link when he said over the summer that the next Rousey was on The Ultimate Fighter. White was talking about Namajunas and she knew it.

“It’s cool,” Namajunas said. “I know I have a lot to look forward to as long as I stay on this path and stay focused and stay humble, train hard, be OK with everything coming my way. Find peace in this chaos.”

Namajunas was seeded No. 7 to start the season, which seems silly now. She tore through the competition in the house, finishing Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos, all by submission. Mind you, Namajunas came into the show known for her striking.

Esparza opened as a slight favorite in some sports books and she is an incredibly talented fighter. But from a marking perspective, the UFC would likely benefit from Namajunas being the face of this new division.

“She’s not going to be the next Ronda Rousey,” former UFC heavyweight Pat Barry, Namajunas’ boyfriend, told MMA Fighting. “She’s going to be the first Rose. That’s what she’s going to be. In my eyes, she has the potential to be bigger than Ronda if she wants to take it that way. If she wants to go that route, she can. She’s absolutely completely capable to the point where it’s almost unreal sometimes. Like is this really happening? She’s absolutely capable of being bigger than everyone. She has the look, she has the fighting ability, she has the personality, she has the interview skills. She has the professionalism about her. Everything about her is just the next generation of fighter.”

Namajunas is embracing all of this. While some fighters will tell you over and over that all they want to do is train and compete, Namajunas is already thinking a few steps ahead. Recently, she signed with high-profile Kevin Harvick Inc., the management company founded by the well-known NASCAR driver. Harvick only had two previous UFC fighters — Donald Cerrone and Miesha Tate — and said last week at UFC 181 that bringing Namajunas on board was an “obvious decision.”

“I don’t think I’m ready — I gotta be ready,” Namajunas said. “It’s coming. So I’m ready for it. Whatever happens happens, I’m just having fun with it. Any mistakes that I make is an investment in my future. I’m really young and I’ve got a long time, so I’m ready for it.”

Like Rousey, Namajunas is rounding into a bonafide star even before her first UFC fight. Now, Rousey is a feature film actress. She was in “The Expendables 3” this year and will add “Fast & Furious 7” and “Entourage” to her resume in 2015. Her list of endorsements is a mile long. Rousey has become a household name among casual fans and beyond.

Namajunas has a long way to go for that. But she has the support of someone who has been there — Rousey herself.

“As soon as I saw her, I saw this girl is special,” Rousey told MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz in September. … “She’s got an amazing skill set, she’s an exciting fighter. She takes risks, she’s gorgeous, and she’s charismatic. I really think she has all the tools that are needed in order to be the next really influential champion.”

First, of course, Namajunas has to become the champion. That means beating Esparza on Friday night. But Namajunas isn’t in a rush. She’s confident she’ll win, but she also knows time is on her side.

“I feel like I have some shoes to fill,” Namajunas said of Rousey. “She’s definitely up there and it’s going to take me some time just to develop it. It’s coming a lot faster than I was expecting.”

LAS VEGAS — Movies. Late-night talk shows. Clothing deals.

There’s much more to Ronda Rousey than just being the UFC women’s bantamweight title. Rousey is a mainstream, crossover star.

When Rose Namajunas looks into her own personal crystal ball, she sees all the same things for herself.

“I feel like I’ve been doing such a good job at such a young age and so early on in my career, I have a lot of time to really develop myself as a person and getting more experience with it,” Namajunas said Wednesday at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale media day. “If it doesn’t happen right now, it’s definitely going to happen eventually.”

Namajunas, 22, takes on Carla Esparza in the UFC’s inaugural women’s strawweight title fight at the TUF 20 Finale on Friday night here at Palms Casino Resort. A victory would put Namajunas alongside Rousey as the only female champions in the UFC. But the comparisons won’t end there. Both are blonde, attractive, charismatic and have an aggressive fighting style that makes people gravitate toward the television whenever they’re in the cage.

UFC president Dana White was actually the first person to make the link when he said over the summer that the next Rousey was on The Ultimate Fighter. White was talking about Namajunas and she knew it.

“It’s cool,” Namajunas said. “I know I have a lot to look forward to as long as I stay on this path and stay focused and stay humble, train hard, be OK with everything coming my way. Find peace in this chaos.”

Namajunas was seeded No. 7 to start the season, which seems silly now. She tore through the competition in the house, finishing Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos, all by submission. Mind you, Namajunas came into the show known for her striking.

Esparza opened as a slight favorite in some sports books and she is an incredibly talented fighter. But from a marking perspective, the UFC would likely benefit from Namajunas being the face of this new division.

“She’s not going to be the next Ronda Rousey,” former UFC heavyweight Pat Barry, Namajunas’ boyfriend, told MMA Fighting. “She’s going to be the first Rose. That’s what she’s going to be. In my eyes, she has the potential to be bigger than Ronda if she wants to take it that way. If she wants to go that route, she can. She’s absolutely completely capable to the point where it’s almost unreal sometimes. Like is this really happening? She’s absolutely capable of being bigger than everyone. She has the look, she has the fighting ability, she has the personality, she has the interview skills. She has the professionalism about her. Everything about her is just the next generation of fighter.”

Namajunas is embracing all of this. While some fighters will tell you over and over that all they want to do is train and compete, Namajunas is already thinking a few steps ahead. Recently, she signed with high-profile Kevin Harvick Inc., the management company founded by the well-known NASCAR driver. Harvick only had two previous UFC fighters — Donald Cerrone and Miesha Tate — and said last week at UFC 181 that bringing Namajunas on board was an “obvious decision.”

“I don’t think I’m ready — I gotta be ready,” Namajunas said. “It’s coming. So I’m ready for it. Whatever happens happens, I’m just having fun with it. Any mistakes that I make is an investment in my future. I’m really young and I’ve got a long time, so I’m ready for it.”

Like Rousey, Namajunas is rounding into a bonafide star even before her first UFC fight. Now, Rousey is a feature film actress. She was in “The Expendables 3” this year and will add “Fast & Furious 7” and “Entourage” to her resume in 2015. Her list of endorsements is a mile long. Rousey has become a household name among casual fans and beyond.

Namajunas has a long way to go for that. But she has the support of someone who has been there — Rousey herself.

“As soon as I saw her, I saw this girl is special,” Rousey told MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz in September. … “She’s got an amazing skill set, she’s an exciting fighter. She takes risks, she’s gorgeous, and she’s charismatic. I really think she has all the tools that are needed in order to be the next really influential champion.”

First, of course, Namajunas has to become the champion. That means beating Esparza on Friday night. But Namajunas isn’t in a rush. She’s confident she’ll win, but she also knows time is on her side.

“I feel like I have some shoes to fill,” Namajunas said of Rousey. “She’s definitely up there and it’s going to take me some time just to develop it. It’s coming a lot faster than I was expecting.”