“Thug” Rose Namajunas is ready to wear the champion’s crown again along with all the pressure that comes with it. When Rose Namajunas lost the UFC strawweight championship to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237, she later likened the feeling to a weight being r…
“Thug” Rose Namajunas is ready to wear the champion’s crown again along with all the pressure that comes with it. When Rose Namajunas lost the UFC strawweight championship to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237, she later likened the feeling to a weight being removed from her shoulders to paraphrase the former champion. The burden and […]
UFC 261, the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion’s first pay-per-view of the month, is just around the corner, and it’s a big one. The card will be topped by a trio of blockbuster title fights…
UFC 261, the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion’s first pay-per-view of the month, is just around the corner, and it’s a big one. The card will be topped by a trio of blockbuster title fights…
Before UFC 261 takes place, former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has a stern warning for Valentina Shevchenko before she fights Jessica Andrade. Since the former champion Rose Namajunas has trained with Shevchenko in the past, she had some words …
Before UFC 261 takes place, former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has a stern warning for Valentina Shevchenko before she fights Jessica Andrade. Since the former champion Rose Namajunas has trained with Shevchenko in the past, she had some words of wisdom for the champion before she attempts to take out Andrade. It seems Namajunas is […]
Ahead of their UFC 261 clash in Florida on April 24, Rose Namajunas admits that champion Weili Zhang will be the toughest opponent she has ever squared off with. Strawweight champion Weili Zhang captured UFC gold back in 2019 against a familiar opponen…
Ahead of their UFC 261 clash in Florida on April 24, Rose Namajunas admits that champion Weili Zhang will be the toughest opponent she has ever squared off with. Strawweight champion Weili Zhang captured UFC gold back in 2019 against a familiar opponent for “Thug Rose” in Jessica Andrade. Following the slam knockout that led […]
Weili Zhang has issued her first public response to Rose Namajunas’ controversial comments about communism’s role in the UFC 261 strawweight title fight. Recently, former strawweight champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas made headlines for her com…
Weili Zhang has issued her first public response to Rose Namajunas’ controversial comments about communism’s role in the UFC 261 strawweight title fight. Recently, former strawweight champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas made headlines for her comments regarding her upcoming bout against current champ Weili Zhang. Namajunas expressed that her fight against Zhang is bigger than just […]
If Rose Namajunas was trying to get under the skin of Zhang Weili, it doesn’t appear to have worked. The comments coming out of the Namajunas camp have been the topic of much discussion leading up to her fight against Zhang. When asked about her motivation going in to the fight against the Chinese champion, […]
If Rose Namajunas was trying to get under the skin of Zhang Weili, it doesn’t appear to have worked.
The comments coming out of the Namajunas camp have been the topic of much discussion leading up to her fight against Zhang. When asked about her motivation going in to the fight against the Chinese champion, Namajunas said that “it’s better dead than red,” referencing an anti-communism slogan popularized in 1950s America. Of course, Zhang has never supported communism, so many viewed the comments as offensive or at least in poor taste.
“I saw them then I totally ignored them,” Zhang said on her Zoom call. “I believe as an athlete you have to focus on yourself, and those kinds of comments make no sense. I think it’s a joke.”
Instead, Zhang said she will focus on what she can do inside of the cage. Namajunas’ striking and movement has caused trouble for many of her opponents, most notably knocking out Joanna Jedrzejczyk to claim the strawweight title. Zhang said she’s been preparing for Namajunas’ unique skill set, but feels comfortable wherever the fight goes.
“I believe Rose will fight the same way she has always fought,” she said. “So the first round will see her moving, and feinting, and jabbing. She will keep moving around. She won’t stay in the same spot to trade with me, or to clinch with me. She will want to keep moving around.
“But in Rose’s interviews she has said she will clinch with me and grapple with me to use her jiujitsu skills. So we will all just have to wait and see how the fight will come.”
The strawweight championship clash will be one of three title bouts as the UFC welcomes fans back into the arena at UFC 261. It will be the first time fans are in attendance since UFC 248 in March 2020, which just so happens to be the last time Zhang fought. The lay-off of over a year is new territory for Zhang, who once fought 14 times in 21 months before making her UFC debut. ‘Magnum’ said she’s excited to welcome crowds back to the stands and hopes to feed off their energy.
“I’m super excited that there will be a crowd,” said Zhang. “I love the feel from the crowd and all the reactions you get from the crowd. So I am really looking forward to the fight and to us putting on a show for the fans.”
For those who do show up in Jacksonville – and everyone tuning in around the world – Zhang says they can expect to see the best version of herself.
“I’m stronger, I’m faster and I have a deeper understanding of how to use my physical strength.”
Do you think Rose Namajunas went too far with her comments towards Zhang Weili?
If Rose Namajunas was trying to get under the skin of Zhang Weili, it doesn’t appear to have worked. The comments coming out of the Namajunas camp have been the topic of much discussion leading up to her fight against Zhang. When asked about her motivation going in to the fight against the Chinese champion, […]