What's next for Rose Namajunas? BMF title fight and 4 other options
Former UFC women's strawweight (115-pound) champion Rose Namajunas is fresh off her second consecutive victory in the UFC women's flyweight (125-pound) division. 'Thug' faced the No. 11-ranked flyweight Tracy Cortez in the headlining match at UFC Denver (July 13, 2024). She thoroughly out-struck and out-grappled Cortez to secure a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) win.
Namajunas' flyweight divisional debut came in Sept. 2023, in which she lost to Manon Fiorot via unanimous decision. The Wisconsin-born Colorado-based fighter bounced back with a unanimous decision victory against Amanda Ribas in March 2024 and has now become the first fighter to defeat Cortez in the UFC organization.
Today, we look at a few potential options for Rose Namajunas after UFC Denver.
#5 Trilogy fight against Jessica Andrade
Rose Namajunas has fought MMA legend Jessica Andrade twice. Andrade defeated Namajunas via second-round KO and captured the UFC women's strawweight title in May 2019. Their rematch was a non-title bout that saw Namajunas secure a razor-thin split decision victory against Andrade in July 2020.
Both those fights were contested at strawweight. Andrade has extensively competed at bantamweight and flyweight as well. Moreover, Namajunas currently competes at flyweight, and Andrade's next fight is a flyweight bout against Natalia Silva at UFC Vegas 97 (Sept. 7, 2024).
Presently, Andrade is ranked No. 5 whereas Namajunas stands at No. 6 in the official UFC women's flyweight rankings. The third Andrade-Namajunas showdown could be booked after the Andrade-Silva fight. Their trilogy is feasible from a rankings and historical perspective.
During the UFC Denver post-fight press conference, reporters alluded that Namajunas had called for a flyweight title shot or BMF title fight in her post-fight octagon interview. A reporter suggested that Andrade is a BMF in her own right and asked if she'd be open to their trilogy fight. Namajunas responded by stating:
"She is. Oof, man. You know, that's the one thing, as I would fight her, maybe, for another belt. And you saying that, it's like, eh. But I want the real belt, so if, you know, that's interesting."
Check out Rose Namajunas' comments below (10:52):
#4 BMF title fight
The UFC's inaugural BMF title fight saw Jorge Masvidal defeat Nate Diaz via third-round TKO at UFC 244 (Nov. 2019). Thus far, there have been three BMF title fights, all in the men's divisions. Since 2019, many fans have called on the UFC to introduce a female version of the symbolic BMF championship.
These calls have persisted right from the time MMA greats Valentina Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes wreaked havoc across multiple weight classes in the UFC to the current era of women's champions. Former UFC women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this year, has often indicated that she'll return from retirement for a female BMF title.
The belief is that one of the biggest combat sports cards of the 2024 calendar year is UFC 306 (Sept. 14, 2024). The event's been rebranded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC. It'll be the UFC's first at the Las Vegas Sphere, a unique arena that boasts a state-of-the-art visual and auditory experience for the audience in attendance.
If the UFC books a women's BMF title fight, it should most definitely feature Rose Namajunas. It could even be against someone other than Jedrzejczyk whom she's already beaten twice. During her UFC Denver post-fight press conference (3:45-4:30-minute mark), Namajunas indicated that she was "joking" about wanting a BMF title fight but is open to fighting Jedrzejczyk for it.
That said, 'Thug' clarified that the flyweight title takes precedence over the BMF belt for her.
#3 Manon Fiorot vs. Rose Namajunas 2
Longtime UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko lost her title via fourth-round submission against Mexico's Alexa Grasso at UFC 285 (March 2023). Their rematch saw Grasso retain the title courtesy of a split draw at Noche UFC (Sept. 2023). Grasso is expected to defend her belt against the Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian fighter in their trilogy match at Riyadh Season Noche UFC in September.
However, Shevchenko recently alluded that the Noche UFC events have a Mexican Independence Day theme. 'Bullet' insinuated she wouldn't want to face her Mexican rival at a Mexican-themed event again. Meanwhile, as reported by John Morgan, Grasso asserted that if Shevchenko doesn't fight her at the upcoming Noche UFC event, she could defend her title against Manon Fiorot.
The UFC has yet to announce whom Grasso will fight at the event. Considering the variables at play, Rose Namajunas could find herself across the octagon against France's Manon Fiorot again. If Fiorot doesn't get a title shot next, the UFC could book her in a title eliminator against Namajunas at the Noche UFC event, especially given how close their first encounter was.
#2 Rose Namajunas' star power and the current flyweight landscape
As of this time, Rose Namajunas is ranked No. 6 in the flyweight division. The five fighters ranked above her are: Jessica Andrade (No. 5), Maycee Barber (No. 4), Erin Blanchfield (No. 3), Manon Fiorot (No. 2), and Valentina Shevchenko (No. 1). Of the aforementioned names, Namajunas, Andrade, and Shevchenko are former UFC champions.
Additionally, Namajunas and Shevchenko are arguably the biggest names on that list, particularly in regard to star power. They're known to be good friends outside the octagon and often train together. Namajunas previously highlighted their friendship, pointing out that they'll need a good reason to clash in a professional MMA bout.
Either way, Shevchenko is eyeing a trilogy fight against Alexa Grasso and is unlikely to face Namajunas anytime soon. Rumors are rife that Shevchenko is uninterested in facing Grasso at the Noche UFC event. Ergo, the UFC could simply book one of the biggest WMMA stars today, 'Thug' Rose, in a title fight against Grasso at Noche UFC.
UFC CEO Dana White has promised fans an irreplicable event at the Sphere, and a star like Namajunas could surely add to the allure of the expected high-profile card.
#1 Rose Namajunas could wait for a UFC women's flyweight title shot
Some fans might disapprove of this strategy, but the fact is that a fighter must do what's best for their career, even if it means waiting on the sidelines for a title shot. Of the current flyweight top five: Shevchenko is waiting for her title shot, Fiorot doesn't have a fight booked, Blanchfield lost to Fiorot earlier this year, Barber is out with health issues, and Andrade has already fought Rose Namajunas twice.
Regardless, the UFC will surely book its Mexican champion, Alexa Grasso, to compete on the Noche UFC card in September. Irrespective of whether Grasso fights Shevchenko or Fiorot at the event, Namajunas could simply wait and face the winner for the flyweight title in late 2024 or early 2025.
For her part, 'Thug' implied that she aims to win the flyweight title and become a two-division champion. Speaking to ESPN MMA after her win over Cortez, Namajunas, who's an American of Lithuanian descent, noted that she'd like to compete at a UFC event in Lithuania. She further underlined her willingness to rematch Fiorot, compete in a title fight, or do "anything that the UFC has in mind."
Check out Rose Namajunas' comments below (3:43):