‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas will make her first outing of 2024 against number 9 ranked Flyweight Amanda Ribas in a headline bout set for March 23rd.
In his increasingly frequent social media posts, Dana White announced the upcoming bout to his 8.8 million Instagram followers. He said:
“Former Strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will take on number 9 ranked Amanda Ribas, March 23rd at UFC APEX. You know, Rose is dangerous. She is a great striker, knockout power, she’s beat Weili Zhang, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Ribas is returning to flyweight after an impressive wheel kick knock out over Pinheiro and this fight is going to be bad ass. It is good to have Rose back.”
After a successful spell on The Ultimate Fighter, only losing in the final to Carla Azparza, Namajunas made her official UFC at UFC 192. She beat Angela Hill in a round before going on to defeat Paige Van Zant and Tecia Torres at UFC Fight Night 80 and UFC on FOX 19.
After losing to Karolina Kowalkiewicz, ‘Thug’ Rose rebuilt and fought Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 for the Strawweight belt. Joanna was a heavy favourite going into the bout being vastly more experienced and unbeaten; Namajunas shocked the world when she ran through the champ in 3:03 to claim the Strawweight belt.
After successfully defending the belt in a rematch with Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas would go on to lose the belt in vicious style when she was knocked unconscious after being slammed to the mat against Jessica Andrade.
The Milwaukee native regained the Strawweight strap almost two years later when she became only the second women to beat then-champ, Zhang Weili. For Namajunas, it would only be one successful title defence before the belt fell from her grasp once more.
After dropping the belt for the second time, ‘Thug’ Rose decided to make the move to Flyweight but came up short against Manon Fiorot in her first appearance at the new weight.
Namajunas will look to right the wrongs of her Flyweight debut against Ribas as she seeks to earn a belt in a second division.
Ribas made a rip-roaring to life in the UFC, beating Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos and Paige Van Zant within 13 months of joining the promotion.
Subsequent to the impressive start, she faced Marina Rodriguez. It was an enthralling Strawweight bout, but Rodriquez took control early in the second round and finished her fellow Brazilian.
Since the loss to Rodriguez; Ribas has struggled to find steady form, going 3-2 in her last 5.
A win for ‘Thug’ would catapult her straight in to the top 10 of the division but her scalp would undoubtedly be the biggest Ribas has claimed if she could get the job done.
