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‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas tipped to struggle amidst move to flyweight: ‘I don’t know why she’s coming up’

Scottish standout Joanne Wood believes former two-time UFC strawweight world champion ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas will struggle in her move to the flyweight division. Wood made her promotional debut alongside Namajunas on The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned in 2014. The two women were part of the field of strawweight contenders vying for the […]

Scottish standout Joanne Wood believes former two-time UFC strawweight world champion ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas will struggle in her move to the flyweight division.

Wood made her promotional debut alongside Namajunas on The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned in 2014. The two women were part of the field of strawweight contenders vying for the opportunity to become the first-ever 115-pound champion in the UFC. Wood came up short in her efforts, succumbing to a second-round submission attempt by Namajunas during their quarter-final matchup. Despite the loss, Wood still earned herself a contract with the promotion and proceeded to compete three more times at strawweight before making the permanent move to flyweight.

Speaking with Drake Riggs of MMA Mania, Wood suggested that Rose Namajunas could run into some obstacles at flyweight, referencing her own transition from 115 to 125 in 2018.

“I feel like she will struggle because I know I’ve been in there with these girls and they are like so much bigger than the Strawweights,” Wood said. “In the past, I have struggled with that, but Rose is a completely different fighter to me (laughs).

“I was shocked at that [news],” she continued. “I don’t know why she’s coming up, but she’s made that decision and I’m sure she’ll go with it and walk with it.”

‘Thug’ Rose will make her flyweight debut in September as she meets No. 2 ranked contender Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris.

Rose Namajunas’ move to flyweight is preceded by her unceremonious loss at the hands of Carla Esparza in May 2022. ‘Thug’ Rose surrendered the strawweight world title to Esparza in a bout dubbed by many as the worst title fight in UFC history. Interestingly enough, Esparza also defeated Namajunas in the TUF 20 tournament finals to become the inaugural strawweight champion nearly a decade ago.

Rose Namajunas Will Find Plenty of Competition in a Stacked Flyweight Division

Ready for a brand new setting and a bevy of fresh matchups, Namajunas will be a welcome addition to a flyweight division that has seen a plethora of world-class talent come out of the woodwork in recent years.

“As far as the division itself, it’s crazy to see because when I was coming up I was like, ‘Yep, just watch. In five years, this is gonna be the division,’” Wood said. “Once it kind of settled, everyone was moving up, everyone was moving down. I feel like now we’re in contention with strawweight of being very, very exciting. It’s just great to see it all resolve, everyone find their weight and find all these up-and-comers as well. It’s great, it’s exciting and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

On July 29, ‘JoJo’ will return to the Octagon for a flyweight clash with Brazilian standout Priscila Cachoeira. Wood will look to score back-to-back wins after snagging a split decision victory over Luana Carolina in March.

“I’m excited this kind of fight plays into my game, I feel very well,” Wood said. “I know the fans will love it. Her style is like she’s coming to throw that right hand and land that right hand and that’s perfect. I love that.

“Looking at a technical stance coming from my Muay Thai background, counter and capitalize on that with my kicks and blah, blah, blah,” she added. “The other side of me is like, ‘Man, I just like getting in there and getting bloody.’ I know she’s probably gonna land one, my nose is gonna bleed, but I don’t care. So, it’s gonna bring out that discipline side but also that, ‘You know what? We’re just in a fight.’”

Taila Santos Drops, Submits Joanne Wood In Dominant Win – UFC Vegas 43 Highlights

#10 ranked UFC flyweight contender, Taila Santos made short work of the returning #5 rated, Joanne Wood on short notice on the main card of UFC Vegas 43 tonight — stopping the Scottish striker with a late opening round rear-naked choke. Santos, who now moves to 4-1 in her five-fight UFC stint which began back […]

Santos, who now moves to 4-1 in her five-fight UFC stint which began back in February 2019 in her native Brazil, replaced original opponent of Wood, Alexa Grasso on short notice. And will likely gazump Wood into the top-5 of the division come the release of the updated rankings next week.

The 28-year-old Santa Catarina native immediately dominated the center of the Octagon with her stature and forward movement, stalking Wood with strikes on the feet, eventually dropping the latter with a barrage of punches at the fence.

Taila Santos makes light work of Joanne Woode to lodge her first UFC stoppage victory

Taking the back after attempting to soften Wood up on the ground, Santos eventually took her back during a brief scramble, establishing a pair of hooks and locking up a rear-naked choke win with just over 10 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

Below, catch the highlights from Taila Santos’ stoppage win over Joanne Wood.

Joanne Wood Disses Murphy For Shevchenko Loss: ‘Die On Your Sword’

Joanne Wood (formerly Calderwood) was not impressed with Lauren Murphy’s performance against Valentina Shevchenko.

Wood was the last person that Murphy had to beat, in order to secure her shot with the flyweight champ, in a close fight that resulte…

Joanne Wood (formerly Calderwood) was not impressed with Lauren Murphy’s performance against Valentina Shevchenko.

Wood was the last person that Murphy had to beat, in order to secure her shot with the flyweight champ, in a close fight that resulted in a split decision. Then Murphy went on to face Shevchenko, but lost in devastating fashion, getting TKOd in the fourth round of a one-sided fight.

Ahead of her return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 43, Wood bashed Murphy for her performance against Shevchenko, while speaking on The MMA Hour. She said that Murphy did not really do anything to push the pace, and that she should have taken more risks to beat the champ.

“I feel like Lauren Murphy, she scraped that win from me, and then she went out and did that performance. At least go out on your sword,” Wood said (h/t Sportskeeda).

“Go out there and take it to the champ,” Wood continued. “For me watching it as a fan, I was like, there’s nothing happening here. I know Valentina’s a calculated killer, but you can at least go out there and make it exciting. Die on your sword.”

Joanne Wood might have the chance to prove that she can do better than Lauren Murphy, if she is able to get past Taila Santos, this weekend. She is one of the few contenders at 125lb that the dominant champion has not already beaten, so it does not take more than a win or two to put someone into title contention in the flyweight division.

Either way, the important thing is for Wood to get back on track tonight at UFC Vegas 43. From there, time will tell if she gets the next title shot against the champ, Valentina Shevchenko.

Check out the full interview with Joanne Wood, in the video below:

Continue Reading Joanne Wood Disses Murphy For Shevchenko Loss: ‘Die On Your Sword’ at MMA News.

Joanne Wood Blasts Lauren Murphy For Flyweight Title Loss

UFC flyweight contender Joanne Wood wasn’t a fan of her old rival, Lauren Murphy’s showing against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266. Wood is one of the few flyweight contenders who hasn’t fallen victim to Shevchenko’s title reign, but that’s because she’s lost top contender bouts against Jennifer Maia and Lauren Murphy during her tenure. She […]

UFC flyweight contender Joanne Wood wasn’t a fan of her old rival, Lauren Murphy’s showing against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266.

Wood is one of the few flyweight contenders who hasn’t fallen victim to Shevchenko’s title reign, but that’s because she’s lost top contender bouts against Jennifer Maia and Lauren Murphy during her tenure. She most recently lost to Murphy by a controversial split decision at UFC 263 and will face Taila Santos at UFC Vegas 43.

A win over Santos could give Wood the next title shot, as one of the few remaining first-time flyweight title challengers. During an interview on The MMA Hour, Wood ripped Murphy’s approach to the UFC 266 title fight against Shevchenko and claims she has the game plan to make it a difficult fight for the champ.

“I feel like Lauren Murphy, she scraped that win from me, and then she went out and did that performance,” Wood said. “At least go out on your sword.”

Joanne Wood Is Vying For A Title Shot With A Win At UFC Vegas 43

Despite losses to Maia and Murphy, Wood remains one of the top flyweights in the UFC today. She’s earned wins over noteworthy contenders such as Jessica Eye, Ariane Lipski, and Andrea Lee during her time in the octagon.

It’s unclear who Shevchenko will face next, whether it be a top flyweight contender such as Wood or a third fight with Amanda Nunes. Wood hopes to make the decision an easy one in her favor this weekend.

Do you think Joanne Wood will get the next flyweight title shot with a win at UFC Vegas 43?