"The footwork will be too much" - Michael Bisping predicts winner of the Rose Namajunas-Carla Esparza rematch
Michael Bisping has hailed Rose Namajunas as one of the best female fighters on the planet right now.
'The Count' praised Namajunas for how much she's developed as a fighter over the years and believes she will emerge victorious in her upcoming rematch with Carla Esparza.
TITLE FIGHT ROSE IS BACK
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza
UFC 274 Co Main
via @JustinBarrasso https://t.co/OxN4BNl3OL
Esparza and Namajunas are set to run it back in a women's strawweight title fight in the co-headliner of UFC 274 on May 7. Their first fight came back in 2014 when Esparza emerged victorious via submission in the third round. This time around, Bisping feels 'Thug Rose' will get her revenge.
According to the former middleweight champ, Namajunas' footwork and movement inside the octagon will be key to her victory on the night. He explained that the strawweight queen's movement will make it increasingly difficult for Esparza to back her up against the cage and impose her game.
In a stand-up fight, Bisping believes Namajunas will get the better of 'Cookie Monster' with her prolific striking skills. In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, Bisping said:
"I've got rose winning this fight simply because I believe the the footwork will be too much. She will utilize all that space in that gigantic cage...The lateral movement [and] the perpetual movement of Rose Namajunas is going to cause a lot of problems for Carla Esparza... Because of the footwork, Rose won't allow herself to get backed up against the fence and then if that's the case [and] she's forced to stand with Rose, Rose is faster, Rose is cleaner, she's sharper, she's got better skill and she's longer."
Watch the full video below:
Former opponent predicts dominant finish for Rose Namajunas at UFC 274
Namajunas' former opponent Joanna Jedrzejczyk believes that the reigning strawweight champion will successfully defend the title against Esparza this weekend.
According to Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas will keep the fight mostly on the feet with her solid takedown defense and finish the fight via submission or knockout in the first round. In a recent interaction with MMA Fighting, she said:
"I think Rose Namajunas first-round finish... You know, I see Carla Esparza shooting and Rose defending the takedown and submitting her. But her footwork and her strikes are so crispy and juicy and [Rose] can [also] knock her out."
Catch the full interview below:
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas have fought each other twice in the past, with the American emerging victorious on both occasions via TKO and unanimous decision, respectively.
#UFC217 Rose Namajunas def. Joanna via KO (Punches) 3:03 of R1 to become the new UFC strawweight champion! https://t.co/ZAPDpNACEU