Dana White: Rose Namajunas Doesn’t Want A Title Shot

namajunasFollowing Rose Namajunas’s impressive fight of the night performance vs Jessica Andrade many expected her to challenge for Weili Zhang’s UFC Strawweight Title next, Dana White even admitted to working on the fight and trying to find a date for it. However, in a interview with BT Sport UFC President Dana White suggested that “Thug […]

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Following Rose Namajunas’s impressive fight of the night performance vs Jessica Andrade many expected her to challenge for Weili Zhang’s UFC Strawweight Title next, Dana White even admitted to working on the fight and trying to find a date for it. However, in a interview with BT Sport UFC President Dana White suggested that “Thug Rose” isnt interested in the title fight and are now looking at former UFC Strawweight Champion for that fight.

White said “What I’m hearing is Rose Namajunas does not want a title shot… So we’re looking at the rankings and how it plays out, it would play out as Weili vs. Carla Esparza.” (Transcribed by Aaron Bronsteter)

However quickly following the UFC Presidents comments, Namajunas’ fiancé and coach, Pat Barry, refused the idea that Namajunas doesn’t want the fight and elaborated that they want the title fight and it wouldn’t make sense to turn down the fight.

“That is absolutely not true,” Barry said. “We absolutely want the title fight. Who would turn down a title fight? We just don’t want to air this out publicly. If there was some confusion, they can call us to clear it up.” (Transcribed by Ariel Helwani) Barry then refused to comment further on the matter.

The last UFC Strawweight title fight came in March when Weili Zhang defeated Joanna J?drzejczyk via Split Decision in what many people consider Fight of the Year. The Champion previously expressed interest in fighting Namajunas next for the belt. Zhang said “My preference is to fight Rose because I believe she is the highest level and most-skilled martial artist outside of myself in the division. She would be a good challenge for me.”

Who do you think Weili Zhang will fight next?

Dana White: Rose Doesn’t Want Title; Esparza May Be Next for Zhang

According to Dana White, Rose Namajunas is not ready to hold UFC gold again. Rose Namajunas became the UFC strawweight champion when she defeated Joanna J?drzejczyk in an upset victory at UFC 217. Five months later, Namajunas would again defeat J?drzej…

According to Dana White, Rose Namajunas is not ready to hold UFC gold again. Rose Namajunas became the UFC strawweight champion when she defeated Joanna J?drzejczyk in an upset victory at UFC 217. Five months later, Namajunas would again defeat J?drzejczyk, this time to retain the belt, but it came at a heavy cost. It […]

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Rose Namajunas Opens Up On Overcoming Trauma From Conor McGregor’s Bus Attack

Rose Namajunas has opened up on the famous Conor McGregor bus attack. Before UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team slapped Artem Lobov. That caused Conor McGregor to fly all the way to Brooklyn and attack the bus Nurmagomedov was on. During the inc…

Rose Namajunas has opened up on the famous Conor McGregor bus attack. Before UFC 223, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team slapped Artem Lobov. That caused Conor McGregor to fly all the way to Brooklyn and attack the bus Nurmagomedov was on. During the incident, Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa were injured and Namajunas was shaken […]

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Rose Namajunas Reveals How She Coped With Conor McGregor Bus Attack Incident

NamajunasFormer UFC strawweight champion, ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas has opened up on her traumatic experience during the infamous bus attack, perpetrated by former two-weight world champion, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor during fight week ahead of UFC 223 in April of 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. McGregor, who was then entangled in the […]

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Former UFC strawweight champion, ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas has opened up on her traumatic experience during the infamous bus attack, perpetrated by former two-weight world champion, ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor during fight week ahead of UFC 223 in April of 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

McGregor, who was then entangled in the ultimate beginnings of his now scalding rivalry with undisputed lightweight champion, Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov — along with a group of associates travelled to the parking lot of the Barclays Center, in a bid to draw out the latter after an earlier incident involving McGregor’s SBG teammate, Artem Lobov and Khabib.

Briefly held back by security, McGregor eventually got his hands on a moving dolly, which he threw through the window of the reversing bus — shattering its glass. Sat amongst the red-corner fighters, Khabib was beckoned out of the bus by McGregor who began slamming his fist on the buses window, as UFC welterweight contender, Michael Chiesa dealt with a cut on his forehead. 

Also seated on the vehicle; defending strawweight champion, Namajunas who was scheduled to attempt the first defence of her 115-pound title against two-time opponent, dominant former champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Detailing her experience of the infamous incident in a newly launched UFC Fight Pass series, UFC Year of the Fighter: Rose Namajunas – the Pat Barry and Trevor Wittman product told how the whole experience felt like an “eternity“.

It was like an eternity in that bus, because I had no idea who that was that was attacking us,” Namajunas said. “All of a sudden I see a big ol’ fist kind of bang on my window and then I see one of the security guards grab one of the dudes. I didn’t know it was Conor (McGregor) until a little bit later. When he threw the dolly, the bus was backing up into the elevator spot as he threw it to the window right in front of me. But had the bus not been moving, it would have hit my window.

According to the former champion, the entire incident brought back unsettling memories of bus journeys of her youth where objects would be hurled at the vehicle as it travelled through neighbourhoods. 

In my head, once I found out it was Conor, I was a little relieved, but I still was on edge,” Namajunas said. “It just took me back to when I was a kid, riding to school through bad neighbourhoods on a bus and people throwing sh*t at our bus. And I’ve never been completely cornered like that. We were just sitting there not in control. So, what did I do in that moment? I said the Lord’s prayer again and then it did make me feel a little bit better at that moment, and it got me through that tough moment.

And everything that was from my childhood, this is what I fought to get out of, and this is like back to stupid street sh*t,” Namajunas explained. “I don’t want to be around that any more. That’s what I fought my way out of.

A former strawweight champion, Namajunas is widely expected to make her second title challenge sometime next year as she sits as the number-one contender to incumbent best, Zhang ‘Magnum’ Weili’s 115-pound throne via a close decision win over former opponent and titleholder, Jessica ‘Bate Estaca’ Andrade on ‘Fight Island’ in July. 

Coach Expects Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas In First Quarter Of 2021

Zhang Rose NamajunasA women’s strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas could take place in the first quarter of the new year. That’s according to Zhang’s jiu-jitsu coach Pedro Jordao who expects his student to look for a second title defense in early 2021. Nothing is confirmed as of yet but Namajunas is expected to be […]

Zhang Rose Namajunas

A women’s strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas could take place in the first quarter of the new year.

That’s according to Zhang’s jiu-jitsu coach Pedro Jordao who expects his student to look for a second title defense in early 2021.

Nothing is confirmed as of yet but Namajunas is expected to be the Chinese superstar’s next opponent following her impressive unanimous decision win over Jessica Andrade in July.

“We’ll see how things go with this virus,” Jordao told MMA Fighting. “But I think (the fight) will probably be in the first quarter. … We’re training for a while here. It appears that her next fight will be against Rose, but nothing is set yet. Everything indicates that’s the plan — and it makes sense, everybody knows that.”

As for the matchup, Jordao is a fan even though he believes the former champion in Namajunas is one of the better opponents Zhang has faced in recent times.

“She’s another tough opponent,” Jordao said. “I think Rose is more technical (than Zhang’s previous opponents), more calm, and very talented. It’s time to test that.

“I know she’s probably training really hard, but I think it’s a good match-up for Weili Zhang style-wise. People say she’s is very strong, very strong, but we’ve seen how technical she is, too. I trust Weili and think she will be able to defeat Rose.”

Zhang has become known for her striking, especially given her first-round knockout win over Andrade last year in addition to her five-round war with Joanna Jedrzejczyk back in March.

However, she is equally as adept on the ground and won’t be afraid of the jiu-jitsu Namajunas possesses either.

“She has taken every opponent down in the UFC except for ‘Bate Estaca’ (Andrade),” Jordao added. “She’s always training jiu-jitsu, she’s very well-rounded. I train with her for six years and I watch her evolution closely, I know how powerful her strikes are, her technique on the ground, how strong is her guillotine and rear-naked choke, her armbar.

“She’s very confident on the ground. She’s not afraid to go to the ground.”

All in all, a Zhang vs. Namajunas fight promises to be one heck of an encounter — wherever the fight goes.

Do you think Zhang will retain her title against Namajunas? Or will Namajunas become a two-time champion?

Valentina Shevchenko Expects Rose Namajunas To Beat Weili Zhang

Valentina Shevchenko expects Rose Namajunas to reclaim her strawweight belt when she fights Weili Zhang. Namajunas returned to the win column with a split decision win over Jessica Andrade at UFC 251. Following the fight, it was expected “Thug&#8…

Valentina Shevchenko expects Rose Namajunas to reclaim her strawweight belt when she fights Weili Zhang. Namajunas returned to the win column with a split decision win over Jessica Andrade at UFC 251. Following the fight, it was expected “Thug” would get a title shot against Weili Zhang. If that turns out to be the case, […]

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