Rose Namajunas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rose Namajunas |
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Namajunas in 2012
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| Born | Rose Gertrude Namajunas June 29, 1992 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Other names | Thug |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg) |
| Division | Strawweight (2013–2022) Flyweight (2023–present) |
| Reach | 65 in (165 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Team | 303 Training Center (2016–2020) Grudge Training Center (2012–2016) Minnesota Martial Arts Academy (2011–2012) Roufusport |
| Trainer | Trevor Wittman Pat Barry Greg Nelson |
| Rank | Black belt in Taekwondo Black belt in Karate Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Tony Basile |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 21 |
| Wins | 14 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 5 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 7 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 5 |
Rose Gertrude Namajunas, born on June 29, 1992, is an American professional mixed martial artist. She competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the women's Flyweight division. Rose is also a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. As of May 13, 2025, she is ranked #7 in the UFC women's flyweight division.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Rose Namajunas was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 29, 1992. Her parents were from Lithuania and moved to the United States in 1991. Rose was named after her great-grandmother, Rožė Gotšalkaitė Namajūnienė. Her great-grandfather, Juozas, was a military officer in independent Lithuania. He fought against the Soviet occupation of his country. Rose's grandfather, Algimantas Andriukonis, was also a successful wrestler. Rose often visits Lithuania and speaks Lithuanian with her grandparents.
Rose grew up in a challenging neighborhood in Milwaukee. Her friends nicknamed her "Thug Rose" because she was the smallest girl but acted tougher than anyone else. She graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where she was a good cross-country runner.
Starting Martial Arts
Rose began practicing taekwondo when she was just 5 years old. By age 9, she had earned her junior black belt. After that, she also trained in karate and BJJ. In high school, she started learning kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) with Duke Roufus at Roufusport. She was also a wrestler in her senior year of high school.
Professional Grappling Matches
Rose Namajunas has also competed in professional grappling. In December 2022, she faced fellow UFC fighter Gillian Robertson at Fury Pro Grappling 6. Rose lost that match by a submission move called a rear-naked choke. In May 2023, she competed in the ADCC Denver Open and won a bronze medal in the absolute division.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Starting as an Amateur
Rose began her MMA journey as an amateur fighter in 2010. She trained with Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. She had a perfect amateur record, winning all four of her fights. Two of her wins were by TKO (technical knockout), and two were by decision.
Invicta Fighting Championship
Rose made her professional debut on January 5, 2013, at Invicta FC 4. She won her first professional fight against Emily Kagan by submission in the third round. This win also earned her the Submission of the Night bonus.
In her second professional fight, on April 5, 2013, Rose faced Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5. She won very quickly, in just 12 seconds, with a flying armbar submission. This amazing move earned her another Submission of the Night award.
However, Rose faced Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6 on July 13, 2013, and lost by unanimous decision.
The Ultimate Fighter Competition
In December 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that Rose Namajunas would be one of 11 strawweight fighters to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter. This season was special because it would crown the first-ever UFC strawweight champion.
Rose was chosen as the fourth pick by coach Gilbert Melendez. She won her preliminary fight against Alex Chambers by submission. In the quarter-finals, she defeated Joanne Calderwood with a kimura submission. She then won her semi-final fight against Randa Markos, also by kimura.
In the tournament final on December 12, 2014, Rose fought Carla Esparza for the first UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Rose lost the fight by submission in the third round.
Joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Even though she lost in The Ultimate Fighter finale, Rose was recognized for her exciting performances. She received two $25,000 bonus awards for Performance of the Season and Fight of the Season for her bout with Joanne Calderwood.
Rose was scheduled to fight Nina Ansaroff in May 2015, but the fight was canceled because Ansaroff became ill. Rose still received her full payment for the fight.
On October 3, 2015, Rose fought Angela Hill at UFC 192. Rose won by submission in the first round. Soon after, on December 10, 2015, she faced Paige VanZant in the main event of UFC Fight Night 80. Rose won this fight by submission in the fifth round, earning her first Performance of the Night bonus.
Rose had a rematch with Tecia Torres on April 16, 2016, at UFC on Fox 19. Rose won this fight by unanimous decision. Later that year, on July 30, 2016, she fought Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201. Rose lost this fight by a split decision, but both fighters earned the Fight of the Night award for their exciting performance.
On April 15, 2017, Rose faced Michelle Waterson at UFC on Fox 24. Rose won by submission in the second round, which was her fifth submission victory.
Becoming Strawweight Champion
Rose Namajunas challenged the undefeated Strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 217 on November 4, 2017. Many people thought Rose was the underdog, meaning she was not expected to win. However, Rose surprised everyone by winning with a knockout in the first round! She became the new UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. This win also earned her another Performance of the Night bonus. It was her first knockout victory as a professional. After winning the title, Rose said she wanted to use her platform to help spread awareness about mental health.
For her first title defense, Rose had a rematch with Joanna Jędrzejczyk on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223. Rose won the fight again, this time by unanimous decision.
In her second title defense, Rose faced Jéssica Andrade on May 11, 2019, at UFC 237 in Brazil. Rose lost the fight by knockout in the second round. This fight also earned the Fight of the Night award.
After Losing the Title
Rose was set to have a rematch with Jéssica Andrade on April 18, 2020, but she had to withdraw due to family reasons. The fight was rescheduled and took place on July 12, 2020, at UFC 251. Rose won this exciting rematch by split decision, and it was awarded Fight of the Night.
Second Time as Strawweight Champion
Rose Namajunas then challenged Zhang Weili for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261. Rose won the fight by knockout early in the first round with a head kick. She became the UFC Women's Strawweight World Champion for the second time! This made her the first female fighter in UFC history to regain a championship belt after losing it. This win also earned Rose a Performance of the Night bonus.
The rematch between Rose and Zhang for the title happened on November 6, 2021, at UFC 268. After a close fight, Rose defended her title, winning by split decision.
Rose faced Carla Esparza in a rematch for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. Rose lost the fight and the title by split decision.
Moving to Flyweight
Rose Namajunas decided to move up to the Flyweight division. She faced Manon Fiorot on September 2, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 226. Rose lost this fight by unanimous decision.
On March 23, 2024, Rose faced Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN 53. She won the fight by unanimous decision.
Rose was scheduled to fight Maycee Barber on July 13, 2024, but Barber withdrew due to health issues. Tracy Cortez stepped in to fight Rose instead. Rose defeated Cortez by unanimous decision.
On November 2, 2024, Rose faced Erin Blanchfield at UFC Fight Night 246. Rose lost the fight by unanimous decision.
Most recently, Rose Namajunas faced Miranda Maverick on June 14, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 69. She won the fight by unanimous decision.
Fighting Style
Rose Namajunas is known for her excellent striking skills and clever footwork. She often moves forward, using jabs and high kicks to pressure her opponents. She uses different angles and creative moves to attack. When she gets close to her opponent, she sometimes tries to grapple and use a submission move to win the fight.
Personal Life
Rose Namajunas is a Christian and has strong feelings about freedom. Before her first fight against Chinese fighter Zhang Weili, Rose spoke about her family's history in Lithuania and their experiences under communist rule. She said that her family's journey inspired her to fight for freedom. She felt her fight with Zhang represented a bigger idea of freedom versus oppression, relating it to her family's past. Rose later clarified that her comments were not meant to be personal against Zhang, but more about her own "internal battles" and "generational PTSD" from her family's history. Zhang said she focused on herself and ignored the comments. Rose has said, "I've got the Christ consciousness, I've got Lithuanian blood and I've got the American dream."
A documentary about Rose's life, called Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist, was released in 2022.
Family Life
Rose Namajunas is engaged to Pat Barry, who is also a former UFC fighter and her training partner. They met at Duke Roufus' gym. Rose has played the piano since she was five years old. Her brother, Nojus, is also a mixed martial artist.
Achievements and Awards
Rose Namajunas has received many awards and honors throughout her career:
- Lithuanian American National Hall of Fame - Class of 2019
- Nominated for ESPY Awards in 2018 (for Best Fighter) and 2021 (for Best MMA Fighter)
- Nominated for Kids' Choice Sports 2018 Award for Biggest Powerhouse
- Eighth Annual Real Women Awards - 2017 Woman of the Year
Mixed Martial Arts Awards
* UFC Women's Strawweight Championship (Two times; Former) * Successfully defended her title two times. * Has the third most title fight wins in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (4). * Performance of the Night (Three times) * Fight of the Night (Three times) * Has the third most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (6). * Tied for second most finishes in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (5). * First woman in UFC history to regain a championship title after losing it. * Has victories over three former UFC Women's Strawweight Champions. * Latest finish in a UFC Women's Strawweight division bout (2:25 at R5). * The Ultimate Fighter 20 (Runner-Up) * TUF 20 Fight of the Season (vs. Joanne Calderwood) * TUF 20 Performance of the Season (vs. Joanne Calderwood) * UFC Honors Awards * 2021: Nominee for President's Choice Performance of the Year and Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year (vs. Zhang Weili 1). * UFC.com Awards * 2017: Upset of the Year and Ranked #2 Fighter of the Year. * 2020: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year (vs. Jéssica Andrade 2). * 2021: Ranked #4 Fighter of the Year and #4 Knockout of the Year (vs. Zhang Weili 1).
- Invicta FC
* Submission of the Night (Two times)
- Crypto.com
* Fan Bonus of the Night (vs. Carla Esparza)
- Fighter of the Year
* 2017 MMA Fighter of the Year (from various sources like ESPN, MMA Fighting, MMADNA) * 2017 UFC Fighter of the Year (from CBS Sports) * 2017 MMA Female Fighter of the Year (from World MMA Awards, Yahoo Sports, MMAjunkie, and more) * 2021 MMA Female Fighter of the Year (from World MMA Awards, Cageside Press, Combat Press) * 2021 Women's MMA MVP (from Wrestling Observer Newsletter)
- Upset of the Year
* 2017 MMA Upset of the Year (vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk, from World MMA Awards, Sports Illustrated, Sherdog, and more) * 2017 UFC Upset of the Year (vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk, from Sport360, Pundit Arena, Per Sources)
- Submission of the Year
* 2013 MMA Submission of the Year (vs. Kathina Catron) * 2013 Women's MMA Submission of the Year (vs. Kathina Catron) * 2015 Women's MMA Submission of the Year (vs. Paige VanZant) * 2017 Women's MMA Submission of the Year (vs. Michelle Waterson)
- Knockout of the Year
* 2017 Women's MMA Knockout of the Year (vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk)
- Fight of the Year
* 2013 Women's MMA Fight of the Year (vs. Tecia Torres)
- Fight of the Month
* 2019 May Fight of the Month (vs. Jéssica Andrade) * 2020 July Fight of the Month (vs. Jéssica Andrade)
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 21 matches | 14 wins | 7 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 1 |
| By submission | 5 | 1 |
| By decision | 7 | 5 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 14–7 | Miranda Maverick | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Usman vs. Buckley | June 14, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 13–7 | Erin Blanchfield | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi | November 2, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | |
| Win | 13–6 | Tracy Cortez | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Namajunas vs. Cortez | July 13, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 12–6 | Amanda Ribas | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Ribas vs. Namajunas | March 23, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 11–6 | Manon Fiorot | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac | September 2, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Paris, France | Flyweight debut. |
| Loss | 11–5 | Carla Esparza | Decision (split) | UFC 274 | May 7, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Lost the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–4 | Zhang Weili | Decision (split) | UFC 268 | November 6, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 10–4 | Zhang Weili | KO (head kick) | UFC 261 | April 24, 2021 | 1 | 1:18 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9–4 | Jéssica Andrade | Decision (split) | UFC 251 | July 12, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 8–4 | Jéssica Andrade | KO (slam) | UFC 237 | May 11, 2019 | 2 | 2:58 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Lost the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 8–3 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 223 | April 7, 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Brooklyn, New York, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–3 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | TKO (punches) | UFC 217 | November 4, 2017 | 1 | 3:03 | New York City, New York, United States | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 6–3 | Michelle Waterson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis | April 15, 2017 | 2 | 2:47 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Loss | 5–3 | Karolina Kowalkiewicz | Decision (split) | UFC 201 | July 30, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 5–2 | Tecia Torres | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans | April 16, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 4–2 | Paige VanZant | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant | December 10, 2015 | 5 | 2:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 3–2 | Angela Hill | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 192 | October 3, 2015 | 1 | 2:47 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 2–2 | Carla Esparza | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale | December 12, 2014 | 3 | 1:26 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the inaugural UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. The Ultimate Fighter 20 Women's Strawweight Tournament Final. |
| Loss | 2–1 | Tecia Torres | Decision (unanimous) | Invicta FC 6 | July 13, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Kathina Catron | Submission (flying armbar) | Invicta FC 5 | April 5, 2013 | 1 | 0:12 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 1–0 | Emily Kagan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Invicta FC 4 | January 5, 2013 | 3 | 3:44 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | Strawweight debut. Submission of the Night. |
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 3 wins | 0 losses |
| By submission | 3 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 3–0 | Randa Markos | Submission (kimura) | The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned | August 14, 2014 (December 10, 2014 airdate) |
1 | 2:45 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | The Ultimate Fighter 20 Semifinal round. |
| Win | 2–0 | Joanne Calderwood | Submission (kimura) | August 6, 2014 (December 3, 2014 airdate) |
2 | 2:06 | The Ultimate Fighter 20 Quarterfinal round. | ||
| Win | 1–0 | Alex Chambers | Submission (rear-naked choke) | July 28, 2014 (November 5, 2014 airdate) |
1 | 4:38 | The Ultimate Fighter 20 Elimination round. |
| Amateur record breakdown | ||
| 4 matches | 4 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4–0 | Jen Aniano | TKO (head kick and punches) | KOTC: Trump Card | 30 June 2012 | 1 | 0:33 | Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin | Strawweight bout. Lake of the Torches Resort Casino |
| Win | 3–0 | Moriel Charneski | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: March Mania | 17 March 2012 | 3 | 3:00 | Walker, Minnesota | 130 lb bout. Northern Lights Casino. |
| Win | 2–0 | Heather Bassett | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Winter Warriors | 10 December 2011 | 3 | 3:00 | Walker, Minnesota | Flyweight bout. Judges scores: 30–28, 30–27, 29–28. Northern Lights Casino. |
| Win | 1–0 | Melissa Pacheco | TKO (punches) | North American Fight Championship: Relentless | 7 August 2010 | 1 | 2:51 | West Allis, Wisconsin | Flyweight bout. Main Stage, 2010 Wisconsin State Fair. |
Submission Grappling Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 0 wins | 1 loss |
| By submission | 0 | 1 |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Division | Type | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 |  Gillian Robertson |
Submission (rear-naked choke) | Fury Pro Grappling 6 | Superfight | Nogi | December 30, 2022 |  Philadelphia, PA |
See also
In Spanish: Rose Namajunas para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of female mixed martial artists
