The women’s flyweight division has become one of the UFC’s most competitive weight classes in recent years. Rose Namajunas made the move up from strawweight looking to reinvent herself after losing her title to Carla Esparza in 2022. The former two-time strawweight champion brought her technical striking and submission skills to 125 pounds, where she hoped to find new opportunities and challenges. Her journey at flyweight has been a mixed bag so far, with impressive wins showing flashes of her championship form, but also setbacks that reminded everyone how tough this division really is.<\/p>
Miranda Maverick represents everything exciting about the flyweight division’s future. At 27 years old, she entered this fight riding a four-fight winning streak and looking to make her case as a legitimate title contender. Her well-rounded skill set and aggressive fighting style made her the perfect test for a former champion trying to establish herself in this weight class.<\/p>
Namajunas dominated the opening round with her trademark striking precision, using teep kicks and perfectly timed combinations to control the distance. Her movement looked sharp and purposeful as she consistently found openings in Maverick’s defense. The former UFC<\/a> champion was landing clean shots almost at will, with straight right hands and one-two combinations connecting regularly while Maverick struggled to find her rhythm against the veteran’s savvy.<\/p> The second round completely changed the complexion of the fight when Namajunas secured a beautiful double-leg takedown. She quickly advanced to side control and eventually took Maverick’s back with both hooks in, threatening a rear-naked choke finish. However, Maverick showed why she’s considered a future title contender by defending the submission brilliantly and creating scrambles that led to dramatic position changes. The round ended with Maverick on top throwing meaningful strikes. The fight was now 1-1.<\/p>