Rose Namajunas Won’t Turn Down Title Shot: 'If They Want to Give Me That, I’ll Take It'

Now that she’s back on a winning track, Rose Namajunas is ready to make moves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division.

The ex-strawweight champion earned her first 125-pound victory on Saturday night, as she took a unanimous decision triumph over Amanda Ribas in the UFC on ESPN 53 headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The bout was competitive for the duration, but Namajunas enjoyed more control time and appeared the land more strikes of consequence throughout. Perhaps just as important was the fact that “Thug” Rose is getting more comfortable in her new weight class.

“I felt actually pretty good,” Namajunas said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “There was some things to work on. I wasn’t as quick, as snappy, as I wanted to be. My arms are a little bigger. I also could feel my strength was great. I know everybody thinks I’m small or weak or something like that, so it’s just good to get better at the grappling aspect of things and just keep all of my skills at a high level. No weakness anywhere.

“… I think I had more top position,” Namajunas added. “I know she got me with one of the head tosses. I think I just landed more power shots … I think my significant strikes were more significant, if that makes any sense. I just think I had more impact and I think I caused more damage to her face, for sure. I feel like I had three of the rounds.”

It was an encouraging performance for Namajunas after dropping a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot in her flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 226 this past September. While Namajunas is aware that next weekend’s showdown between Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield comes with No. 1 contender implications, she also seems to be well aware that her name value might give her some advantages over the rest of the division. “If they wanted to give me a title shot, I’m more than happy to do that,” Namajunas said. “I lost to Manon Fiorot and she’s fighting Erin Blanchfield and she was calling for a title shot. I know how things work, and I know that you’ve got to earn things. Had things gone a little bit different of a way, I probably would have been in a title shot after Manon. It is what it is.

“… I think it is kind of cool to just work your way up and do it that way. Becoming the champ this way would be way more impressive in my opinion, but at the same time, if they want to give me that, I’ll take it.”

If Namajunas is going to work her way through the division, Maycee Barber stands out as an intriguing option as her next opponent. Barber is currently on a six-fight winning streak in UFC competition and is coming off a victory over former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299.

“I think she’s a savage. She’s a big girl. She’s strong. She’s just like a bully in there,” Namajunas said of Barber. “I knew her when she was really young. She’s a lot different now. She used to call me out back when she was younger. I think it’s kind of funny. She’s really tough. That would definitely motivate me and get me going every day because I know she throws with really bad intentions. But anybody else is cool too. Erin Blanchfield, Manon, whoever — title. Yeah, don’t matter.”