Former two-time undisputed strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas turned in her first victory at the flyweight limit last night at UFC Vegas 89 in her return against Amanda Ribas, and wants to test herself against the surging top-5 contender, Maycee Barber in her return – heaping praise on the Colorado youngster.
Namajunas, a former two-time undisputed strawweight champion, snapped a two-fight losing skid with last night’s unanimous decision win over Brazilian favorite, Ribas – which included a flyweight defeat in her weight class bow back in September at UFC Fight Night Paris against streaking incoming headliner, Manon Fiorot.
Rose Namajunas eyes Maycee Barber next
And laying out a roadmap to a potential title tilt in the future – Wisconsin native, Namajunas noted her interest in rematching Fiorot or a clash with Erin Blanchfield after UFC Atlantic City next weekend, before calling out the aforenoted, Barber, with plans to mint herself as a two-weight champion this year.
“I think she’s (Maycee Barber) a savage,” Rose Namajunas told assembled media after UFC Vegas 89. “You know, she’s a big girl, she’s strong. She’s just like a bully in there. I knew her when she was really young and she’s a lot different now. And, you know, she kind of like, called me out back when she was younger and things like that. So, you know, I think it’s kind of funny, but she’s really tough.”
“That [fight] would definitely motivate me and get me going every day because I know she throws with really bad intentions,” Rose Namajunas explained. “But yeah, anybody else is cool, too. Erin Blanchfield, Manon, [the] title. Yeah, it don’t matter.”
In the midst of an impressive six-fight winning steak since a decision loss to current flyweight champion, Alexa Grasso, the current number four ranked contender, Barber most recently landed a decision win over Katlyn Cerminara earlier this month at UFC 299 – to go with a stoppage win over common-foe, Ribas, and a decision success against ex-title challenger, Jessica Eye.
Who wins in a future fight: Rose Namajunas or Maycee Barber?