Rose Namajunas is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the UFC women's Flyweight division. A former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion, she is currently ranked #6 in the flyweight division and #7 in the pound-for-pound rankings as of April 2024.
1933: Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather enlists in the Lithuanian military
Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather, Juozas, enlisted in the Lithuanian military in 1933.
1936: Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather is promoted to lieutenant
Juozas, Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather, was promoted to lieutenant in the Lithuanian military in 1936.
1939: Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather fights in the resistance during the Soviet invasion of Lithuania
During the Soviet invasion of Lithuania in 1939, Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather, Juozas, fought in the resistance.
1968: Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather is killed by Soviet KGB agents
Juozas, Rose Namajunas's great-grandfather, was killed by Soviet KGB agents near his home in 1968.
September 1991: Rose Namajunas's parents move to the United States
Rose Namajunas's parents moved to the United States in September 1991.
June 29, 1992: Rose Namajunas is born
Rose Namajunas was born on June 29, 1992 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lithuanian parents.
2005: Meeting Pat Barry
Rose Namajunas and Pat Barry met at Duke Roufus' gym. Barry began training there after losing his home to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, while Namajunas started training there during high school.
2008: Rose Namajunas's father dies of pneumonia
Rose Namajunas's father, Arturas, died of pneumonia in Germany in 2008 when Rose was 16 years old.
2010: Rose Namajunas begins competing in MMA as an amateur
Rose Namajunas started her MMA journey as an amateur in 2010, training under Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.
January 5, 2013: Rose Namajunas makes her professional MMA debut
Rose Namajunas made her professional MMA debut against Emily Kagan at Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt on January 5, 2013, winning by submission in the third round.
April 5, 2013: Rose Namajunas wins her second professional MMA fight
Rose Namajunas won her second professional MMA fight against Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson on April 5, 2013, by submission in the first round.
July 13, 2013: Rose Namajunas faces Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6
Rose Namajunas fought fellow undefeated prospect Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg on July 13, 2013, and lost the fight by unanimous decision.
December 11, 2013: Rose Namajunas signs with the UFC
On December 11, 2013, Rose Namajunas was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter.
2013: Rose Namajunas loses to Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6
Rose Namajunas previously faced Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6 in 2013, losing the fight by unanimous decision.
December 12, 2014: Rose Namajunas competes for the inaugural UFC Women's Strawweight Championship
Rose Namajunas fought Carla Esparza in the final of The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale for the inaugural UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on December 12, 2014, but lost the bout via rear-naked choke in the third round.
December 2014: Engagement to Pat Barry
In December 2014, it was revealed that Rose Namajunas and Pat Barry had been dating for several years and got engaged in 2014.
May 23, 2015: Rose Namajunas's bout against Nina Ansaroff is scrapped
Rose Namajunas was scheduled to face Nina Ansaroff on May 23, 2015 at UFC 187, but the bout was scrapped due to Ansaroff being medically unfit to compete.
October 3, 2015: Rose Namajunas fights Angela Hill at UFC 192
Rose Namajunas fought Angela Hill at UFC 192 on October 3, 2015, and won by submission in the first round.
December 10, 2015: Rose Namajunas fights Paige VanZant in the main event of UFC Fight Night 80
Rose Namajunas faced Paige VanZant in the main event of UFC Fight Night 80 on December 10, 2015, winning the fight by submission in the fifth round.
April 16, 2016: Rose Namajunas faces Tecia Torres in a rematch at UFC on Fox 19
On April 16, 2016, Rose Namajunas had a rematch against Tecia Torres at UFC on Fox 19, winning the fight by unanimous decision.
July 30, 2016: Rose Namajunas fights Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201
Rose Namajunas faced Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201 on July 30, 2016, in a match considered a title eliminator, but lost by split decision.
April 15, 2017: Rose Namajunas faces Michelle Waterson at UFC on Fox 24
Rose Namajunas fought Michelle Waterson at UFC on Fox 24 on April 15, 2017, and won the fight by submission in the second round.
November 4, 2017: UFC 217 Victory
On November 4, 2017, Rose Namajunas faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk for the Strawweight championship at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York. In a surprising upset, she defeated the undefeated champion by knockout in the first round, becoming the new UFC Women's Strawweight Champion.
2017: Health Challenges
In 2017, Rose Namajunas began experiencing symptoms of spinal stenosis stemming from a C6 vertebral compression fracture. These symptoms, which originated during training with Valentina and Antonina Shevchenko, intensified during her training camp for UFC 223.
April 7, 2018: UFC 223 Victory
Rose Namajunas successfully defended her Strawweight title in a rematch against Joanna Jędrzejczyk on April 7, 2018, at UFC 223. She won the fight by unanimous decision.
May 11, 2019: UFC 237 Loss and Fight of the Night
On May 11, 2019, Rose Namajunas had her first MMA fight outside of the United States when she faced Jéssica Andrade in Andrade's home country of Brazil for her second title defense at UFC 237. She lost the fight by knockout in the second round after being slammed by Andrade. The fight earned her the Fight of the Night award.
April 8, 2020: Withdrawal from UFC 249
On April 8, 2020, Rose Namajunas withdrew from her scheduled rematch against Jéssica Andrade at UFC 249, citing the deaths of two family members related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for her withdrawal.
April 18, 2020: UFC 249 Cancellation
Rose Namajunas was scheduled to face Jéssica Andrade in a rematch on April 18, 2020, at UFC 249.
July 12, 2020: UFC 251 Victory and Fight of the Night
The rematch between Rose Namajunas and Jéssica Andrade was rescheduled and took place on July 12, 2020, at UFC 251. Namajunas won the fight via split decision, earning the Fight of the Night award.
March 2021: Brother's MMA Debut
Rose Namajunas' brother, Nojus, made his professional MMA debut in March 2021.
April 24, 2021: UFC 261 Victory and Championship Reclaim
Rose Namajunas faced Zhang Weili for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261. She won the fight by knockout in the first round with a head kick, regaining the UFC Women's Strawweight World Championship. This victory made her the first female fighter in UFC history to reclaim a championship belt. She also received a Performance of the Night bonus award for her win.
November 6, 2021: UFC 268 Victory
On November 6, 2021, the rematch between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship took place at UFC 268. In a closely contested fight, Namajunas successfully defended her title, winning by split decision.
December 30, 2021: Rose Namajunas withdraws from grappling match due to COVID-19
Rose Namajunas was scheduled to compete in a grappling match against Danielle Kelly on December 30, 2021 at Fury Pro Grappling 3 but had to withdraw due to testing positive for COVID-19.
May 7, 2022: UFC 274 Loss and Fan Bonus
Rose Namajunas faced Carla Esparza in a rematch for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. She lost the fight and her title by split decision. The fight was widely criticized for the low activity of both fighters. However, despite the uneventful fight, Namajunas received the first-place Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" award.
December 2022: Rose Namajunas returns to grappling and faces Gillian Robertson at Fury Pro Grappling 6
Rose Namajunas returned to grappling for the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 6 on December 30, 2022, where she faced fellow UFC veteran Gillian Robertson.
2022: Documentary Release
In 2022, a documentary about Rose Namajunas' life, "Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist," was released, premiering at the Austin Film Festival.
May 13, 2023: Rose Namajunas wins bronze medal at ADCC Denver Open
Rose Namajunas competed in the women's under 60 kg and absolute division at the ADCC Denver Open on May 13, 2023, where she won a bronze medal in the absolute division.
September 2, 2023: UFC Fight Night 226 Loss
On September 2, 2023, Rose Namajunas faced Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night 226, where she lost the fight by unanimous decision.
March 23, 2024: UFC on ESPN 53 Victory
Rose Namajunas faced Amanda Ribas on March 23, 2024, in the main event of UFC on ESPN 53. She won the bout by unanimous decision.
April 2, 2024: Rose Namajunas reaches #6 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings
As of April 2, 2024, Rose Namajunas is ranked #6 in the UFC women's flyweight rankings.
April 9, 2024: Rose Namajunas reaches #7 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings
On April 9, 2024, Rose Namajunas is ranked #7 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
July 13, 2024: Upcoming Fight at UFC Fight Night 243
Rose Namajunas is scheduled to fight Maycee Barber on July 13, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 243.