"I'm always gonna be throwing those kicks now" - Rose Namajunas on her gameplan for the rematch with Zhang Weili at UFC 268
Rose Namajunas is ready to make the most of her kicks to get the better of Zhang Weili again at UFC 268 next month.
'Thug Rose' defeated 'Magnum' using a stunning head kick in the first round of their co-main event at UFC 261. The victory saw her become a two-time UFC women's strawweight champion.
During a recent chat with The Schmo, Rose Namajunas gave insight into the strategy she is going to use to overcome Zhang Weili come November 6.
When asked if she'll be utilizing kicks again, Namajunas said:
"Of course, yeah. Well, it worked you know. We can always test that out [again]. I'm always gonna be throwing those kicks now... That's what I started in is Taekwondo. So I'll definitely be doing that and a lot more. That was just, kind of, one of 10 ways that I see myself finishing her."
Watch Rose Namajunas in conversation with The Schmo below:
Namajunas holds an MMA record of 10-4, while Weili is 21-2 in her career. The Chinese star's only other loss came in her very first professional fight way back in November 2013.
Rose Namajunas is the first female fighter to regain a championship in the UFC
'Thug' Rose Namajunas won the UFC women's strawweight championship for the first time at UFC 217 in November 2017. She beat defending champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk via TKO to claim the belt.
Namajunas went on to defend her title once against the Polish star at UFC 223 in April 2018. However, she dropped the belt to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 in May 2019.
In 2019, Rose Namajunas lost the UFC strawweight title after being knocked out by Jessica Andrade.
Two years later, Namajunas knocked out Zhang Weili and became the first UFC women's champ to reclaim the belt she once held.
Thug Rose came back from defeat stronger than ever 🌹 https://t.co/JS532cCFns
A victory over Andrade, who had lost her championship to Zhang Weili by then, in their rematch at UFC 251 in July 2020 gave Rose Namajunas another title shot. She made the most of it by reclaiming the women's strawweight belt in memorable fashion. The triumph made Namajunas the first and only women's champion in UFC history to reclaim a belt after losing it.