Rose Namajunas took her first step towards becoming a top contender in the flyweight division by defeating Amanda Ribas in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas.
Namajunas, a former strawweight champion, broke her two-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory. Two judges scored four rounds in favor of Namajunas, while the other gave her three rounds.
“It feels great to win,” said Namajunas, who was ranked ninth in ESPN’s flyweight rankings despite losing her debut at 125 pounds in September. Ribas, ranked ninth in strawweight, managed to secure four takedowns but spent most of the fight on the bottom.
Namajunas didn’t cause much damage from the top position but controlled the fight for nearly seven minutes. Although Ribas attempted some submissions, she didn’t make much effort to get back up, which worked against her.
On their feet, Ribas threw more strikes, but Namajunas was more accurate, landing nearly 50% of her shots. Neither fighter seemed to hurt the other with strikes. Namajunas controlled the distance throughout the fight, but her power from her strawweight days didn’t show against Ribas.
“I know I still have areas to improve,” Namajunas admitted. “Ribas did well, but I remained composed.”
Looking ahead, Namajunas mentioned several flyweights ranked above her, including Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield, and Maycee Barber, who she would like to face next.
