Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Rose Namajunas (red gloves) celebrates with fans after defeating Tracy Cortez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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Rose Namajunas Wants This Former Flyweight Champion After UFC Atlanta Win

Rose Namajunas reveals the two top female flyweights who she would want to fight next after her win at UFC Atlanta!

Rose Namajunas has never been one to take the easy path in her fighting career. The former two-time strawweight champion shocked many fans when she moved up to flyweight in 2023, leaving behind her throne at 115 pounds to chase new challenges. Her flyweight journey started rocky with some mixed results, including a tough loss to Erin Blanchfield that had people questioning if the move was worth it. But ‘Thug Rose’ has always bounced back from setbacks with style and determination.

Saturday night in Atlanta proved that Namajunas still has plenty left in the tank at 125 pounds. She dominated Miranda Maverick in the co-main event, showing the striking skills and fight IQ that made her a champion at strawweight. The victory moved her record at flyweight to 3-2 and solidified her spot as the seventh-ranked contender in the division. More importantly, it put her back on track toward her ultimate goal of becoming a two-division champion. After the fight, Namajunas made it clear she’s ready to take on the biggest names available.

Rose Namajunas Wants Alexa Grasso Next

Namajunas didn’t waste time calling out specific opponents during the post-fight press conference. She mentioned two names that caught everyone’s attention: former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and rising contender Natalia Silva. Both fighters represent different challenges, but Namajunas seemed particularly interested in the Grasso matchup. She explained her reasoning with the kind of tactical thinking that’s made her such a successful UFC fighter over the years.

“I think Alexa Grasso would probably be stylistically a little bit better for me. I think Natalia, her speed is very tricky and she sustains it for a very long time. She (Silva) would be I think more of a trickier fight. But Alexa has the experience in terms of the title fights and everything like that.”

She acknowledged that Silva’s speed and cardio would present unique problems.But when it comes to Grasso, Namajunas sees an opponent whose style might play into her strengths better. The Grasso callout makes perfect sense from multiple angles. Alexa lost her flyweight title to Valentina Shevchenko in their trilogy fight She also lost to Natalia Silva recently. So she’s probably looking to rebuild her momentum. A fight between two former champions would generate serious buzz and likely determine the next title challenger. Grasso’s striking-heavy approach would also create an entertaining standup battle that fans would love to see.

(Image Credit: Ron Chenoy – Imagn Images)

Alexa Grasso

Miranda Maverick

Natalia Silva

Rose Namajunas

UFC Atlanta

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!