Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been out of action since May, when she lost her title to Jessica Andrade by knockout via a devastating slam. In the immediate aftermath, the 27-year-old Namajunas expressed doubt about fighting ever again. But six months later, she’s talking about a return to the cage and says the UFC has even offered her a fight that she’s considering. So what makes sense for “Thug” Rose’s return? Farah Hannoun, Nolan King and Mike Bohn sound off in this edition of “Triple Take.”
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Farah Hannoun: Fight Tatiana Suarez
Now that Rose Namajunas is rejuvenated, it shouldn’t take long for her to climb back to the top, considering her accolades in the division. But since she didn’t determine an exact date for a return, a No. 1 contender fight with Tatiana Suarez to determine the next strawweight title challenger should be next.
Suarez also has been sidelined as she recovers from an injury, but is on the cusp of title contention. With champion Zhang Weili likely to face former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk next, a fight between Namajunas and Suarez to determine who’s next would work out well. Despite losing her last fight, Namajunas was in the middle of a striking masterclass against Jessica Andrade before a pivotal mistake cost her.
While an argument can be made for both Namajunas and Suarez to get the next title shot, neither has given a date for a return, but their timelines could coincide. A very worthy challenger would emerge from such a high-caliber fight, which is why it makes so much sense.
Next page – Nolan King: Rematch Jessica Andrade
Nolan King: Rematch Jessica Andrade
Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade is the perfect fight to make. They both are former champions, who in their last outings suffered devastating stoppage losses. In May Namajunas was slammed and knocked out by Andrade, who four months later was bowled over by current UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili.
Neither Namajunas nor Andrade, in my opinion, deserves a championship rematch at this point in time. Nor is it in their best interests. Namajunas’ loss was a tough pill for her to swallow both physically and mentally. Meanwhile, Andrade never successfully defended her belt and was decisively beaten in her first attempt.
This all, of course, can be added to the fact these two have past history. The UFC 237 headliner left some unanswered questions. Prior to the finish, Namajunas was looking the best she ever has. Her striking was fast and crisp. She was flowing inside the cage, conducting a symphony of punches, knees, kicks, and elbows.
I fully understand matchmaking can’t always be perfect in MMA. Moving parts such as timing, availability, and willingness to take on a certain opponent can make the best matchups impossible. However, it’s not like Weili doesn’t have other worthy contenders chomping at the bit. There are still big championship fights to be made right now at 115 pounds excluding Namajunas and Andrade. Tatiana Suarez has done enough to warrant her shot. Joanna Jedrzejczyk is coming off a beautiful, dominant win over Michelle Waterson.
Strawweight is plentiful. So let’s book Andrade vs. Namajunas 2.
Next page – Mike Bohn: Fight for the title
Mike Bohn: Fight for the title
There’s been more than a dozen title fights in UFC history where the challenger has entered off a loss. If Namajunas were to join the list, she would be far from the least deserving person on there.
That doesn’t make booking Namajunas against 115-pound champ Zhang Weili completely excusable, but having her fight for the belt despite being knocked out by Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 wouldn’t be an unprecedented action.
Andrade deserves all credit for that brutal slam that ended Namajunas’ reign, but the Brazilian was largely dominated before the rare finishing sequence. There’s an argument to be made Namajunas still has the best skillset in the division, especially with how quickly Andrade’s reign came to an end. That makes a matchup with Weili very compelling.
At this point it appears to be a two-horse race. With Suarez injured, Jedrzejczyk seems like the front runner to get a crack at the title, and she deserves it. Jedrzejczyk would be rightfully upset if it went to someone else, but lest we forget who is the only person to beat her at strawweight: Namajunas. Not once, but twice.
All signs point to Jedrzejczyk getting that shot, but if for any reason negotiations fall through with the UFC (which is hardly unprecedented), Namajunas should expect the call.
