Rose Namajunas

Two-time UFC strawweight champion known for her striking and calm, composed fighting style; now competes at flyweight.

Rose Gertrude Namajunas was born on 29 June 1992 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Lithuanian immigrant parents, and has spoken openly about the challenges of growing up with a father who struggled with schizophrenia, an experience that shaped much of her early life. She began training in Taekwondo at five, earning her junior black belt by nine, before adding karate, jiu-jitsu, and eventually kickboxing and wrestling during high school. Namajunas trained under Duke Roufus at Milwaukee's Roufusport gym and turned professional in 2013, developing into one of the most technically gifted strikers in the UFC's women's strawweight division. Namajunas, nicknamed "Thug," won the UFC Strawweight Championship in 2017 with a stunning first-round knockout of the previously dominant Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and successfully defended the title in a rematch before losing and later reclaiming the belt in a trilogy that became one of the division's defining rivalries. Namajunas has continued competing at the top level of women's MMA, moving up to flyweight in 2023, and remains one of the most respected and stylistically distinctive champions in the history of the strawweight division.

Namajunas is known for her well-rounded fighting style that combines technical striking with solid grappling fundamentals. She possesses excellent footwork, timing, and knockout power in her hands, particularly her left hook. Her background in traditional martial arts gives her a diverse striking arsenal with kicks and knees, while her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills make her dangerous on the ground.

Rose Namajunas helped elevate the women's strawweight division with her technical skills and exciting fighting style, proving that smaller fighters could deliver spectacular knockouts.

• UFC Women's Strawweight Champion 2017, def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
• UFC Women's Strawweight Champion again 2021, def. Zhang Weili