Rose Namajunas

THE FIGHTER

Rose Namajunas has one of the most compelling stories in women's MMA. She entered the UFC through TUF 20 as a teenager, raw and talented but emotionally fragile in ways that limited her. She lost to Carla Esparza in the finale, got submitted, and the loss looked like it might define her early career. What followed instead was one of the best developmental arcs in the sport.

She came back with better technique, better emotional footing, and a clarity of purpose that transformed her in the cage. The first Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight at UFC 217 was the payoff: a first-round knockout that ended a five-defense championship reign and shocked Madison Square Garden. She defended against Jedrzejczyk again, won, became one of the top strawweights in the world, and was eventually stopped by Jessica Andrade in a fight where a slam KO landed at the worst possible moment.

She came back and won the title a second time, beating Zhang Weili at UFC 261 with a head kick finish that showed exactly how far her striking had developed. She is one of only three women in UFC history to win a title twice in the same division, and her career remains one of the best comeback stories the sport has ever produced.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SIGNATURE MOVES

BIGGEST WINS