5 reasons why a win over Carla Esparza will make Rose Namajunas the UFC's strawweight GOAT

Rose Namajunas could be considered the UFC's strawweight GOAT with a win this weekend

This weekend sees UFC 274 go down from Phoenix, Arizona, and in the event’s co-headline bout, Rose Namajunas will defend her UFC women's strawweight title against top contender Carla Esparza.

Rose Namajunas has already achieved plenty in her UFC career, but would a win over Carla Esparza this weekend make her the greatest strawweight in the promotion’s history?

Don't let the face fool you, that's 𝕿𝖍𝖚𝖌 𝕽𝖔𝖘𝖊 🌹👑

[ @RoseNamajunas | #UFC274 | Saturday | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/3KqADBS ] https://t.co/tmtR6iVnIv

Despite the existence of a couple of other great fighters in the division since it was started in 2014, it’s probably safe to say that ‘Thug Rose’ will stand above them all if she beats Esparza this weekend.

Here are five reasons why a win over Carla Esparza would make Rose Namajunas the UFC’s strawweight GOAT.

#5. Rose Namajunas is the only fighter to hold the UFC strawweight title on two occasions

'Thug Rose' is the only two-time holder of the UFC strawweight title

Even if Rose Namajunas were to lose to Carla Esparza this weekend, one thing that won’t change for her, and stands as evidence that she’s indeed the UFC’s 115-pound GOAT, is the fact that she’s the only fighter to hold the strawweight title on two occasions.

‘Thug Rose’ first claimed gold back in 2017 when she surprised everyone by knocking out longtime champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the first round. When she then defeated the Polish fighter in a rematch, it was expected that she’d hold onto the title for a long time.

However, Namajunas then fell in what was, it must be said, a somewhat fluke way against Jessica Andrade, losing her title in the process. Essentially, ‘Thug Rose’ was winning the bout easily until Andrade slammed her, spiking her onto her head and knocking her out.

Namajunas didn’t need much time to get back to the top, though. After taking a year off, she returned to defeat Andrade in a rematch before unseating then-champion Weili Zhang to reclaim the gold.

UFC 261 results: Rose Namajunas knocks out Zhang Weili with brutal head kick to reclaim strawweight title (@DamonMartin) mmafighting.com/2021/4/25/2240… https://t.co/GslQJ6kciq

Given that no other fighter has been able to do that – which, to be fair, isn’t that surprising given that the division is not a decade old yet – it’s probably fair to say that ‘Thug Rose’ is the most decorated strawweight in UFC history. A win over Esparza would only push that idea further.

Simply put, it’d be impossible not to consider her the 115-pound GOAT.