Rose Namajunas is still in the hunt at 125 pounds. The former two-time UFC strawweight champion barreled back into the win column on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Atlanta, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick in a battle of former training partners at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
In doing so, Namajunas (14-7) successfully rebounded from her loss to Erin Blanchfield this past November and moved to 3-1 over her past four bouts in the flyweight division.
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The judges saw the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, all in Namajunas’ favor.
“I was a little more surprised with how [many] more chances she took than in practice,” Namajunas, 32, said post-fight. “She was more tentative in practice, but she fought like a dog, so I really respect that.”
Maverick (15-6) entered the bout on a four-fight win streak and hoped to use Namajunas’ cache as a former champion as a springboard into title contention in a deep UFC flyweight division. But “Thug Rose” had other plans, taking the early lead with an array of well-timed kicks from distance, bolstered by her usual smart movement and efficient shot selection inside the pocket.
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After a methodical first round, the action picked up in a second as Namajunas secured a quick takedown then gradually worked to Maverick’s back and snuck in a rear-naked choke. In a wild sequence, Maverick, 27, bided her time then exploded up and escaped, reversing position straight into an arm-triangle choke attempt. Namajunas gamely fended off the unexpected danger, however the hard-charging Canadian used the round’s final seconds to turn the tide with a flurry of big punches from Namajunas’ back.
Namajunas, however, was undeterred.
The former champion immediately retook control in the opening stages of the third round, planting Maverick onto the floor with a piston-fast counter left hand then swarming with big ground-and-pound punches. And that was ultimately all Namajunas needed, as she slickly reversed any of Maverick’s escape attempts and rode out the round in control from top position.
Maverick appeared to have an injured left leg following the conclusion of the bout.
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“My game plan was to throw lots of combinations and to get her on her back heels, and get her to not think that I was just going to strike with her,” Namajunas said, adding that a shot at the UFC flyweight title remains her immediate goal.
Widely considered one of the most greatest strawweights of the all time, Namajunas owns two victories over current UFC strawweight champion — and Uncrowned’s No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s fighter — Weili Zhang, as well as two prior victories over UFC Hall of Famer Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Since losing her flyweight debut in late 2023 against Manon Fiorot, “Thug Rose” has found a footing in the division with wins over Amanda Ribas, Tracy Cortez and now Maverick.
Catch full UFC Atlanta results, highlights and play-by-play of the main card here.
