53 Facts About Rose Namajunas

Rose Gertrude Namajunas was born on June 29,1992 and is an American professional mixed martial artist.

Rose Namajunas currently competes in the women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion.

Rose Namajunas was named Rose in honor of her great-grandmother Roze Gotsalkaite Namajuniene, whose husband Juozas was an Independent Lithuania military officer.

Rose Namajunas enlisted in the Lithuanian military in 1933, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1936.

Rose Namajunas was killed by Soviet KGB agents near his home in 1968.

Rose Namajunas's grandfather Algimantas Andriukonis was a successful wrestler, and won national championships in Lithuania and competitions in the USSR.

Namajunas's father Arturas, who suffered from schizophrenia, left the family when Rose was still young and died of pneumonia in Germany in 2008, when Rose was 16.

Rose Namajunas's mother was a pianist, trained at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Rose Namajunas grew up in Milwaukee in a tough, predominantly African-American neighborhood, where she was a witness to violence from a young age.

Rose Namajunas's mother worked a lot and her brother was only rarely home.

Rose Namajunas graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where she was an accomplished cross-country runner.

Rose Namajunas was scheduled to compete in a grappling match against Danielle Kelly on December 30,2021, at Fury Pro Grappling 3 but was forced to withdraw from the event at the last minute due to a positive Covid-19 test and was replaced by Carla Esparza.

Rose Namajunas returned to the promotion for the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 6 on December 30,2022, where she faced fellow UFC veteran Gillian Robertson.

Rose Namajunas lost the bout by rear-naked choke in 65 seconds.

Rose Namajunas won a bronze medal in the absolute division.

Rose Namajunas began competing in MMA as an amateur in 2010.

Rose Namajunas trained under Greg Nelson at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

Rose Namajunas made her professional debut against Emily Kagan at Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs Hyatt on January 5,2013.

Rose Namajunas won the fight by submission due to a flying armbar just 12 seconds into the first round.

Rose Namajunas fought fellow undefeated prospect Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs Cyborg on July 13,2013.

On December 11,2013, it was announced that Rose Namajunas was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship along with 10 other strawweight fighters to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, which would crown the first-ever UFC strawweight champion.

Rose Namajunas defeated Alex Chambers by submission due to a rear-naked choke in the preliminary round of the tournament.

Rose Namajunas won the fight via kimura in the second round.

Rose Namajunas again won the fight via kimura in the first round.

Rose Namajunas lost the bout via rear-naked choke in the third round.

Rose Namajunas was expected to face Nina Ansaroff on May 23,2015, in a preliminary bout at UFC 187.

Rose Namajunas fought Angela Hill on October 3,2015, at UFC 192.

Rose Namajunas won the fight midway through the fifth round via submission due to a rear naked choke.

On July 30,2016, Rose Namajunas fought Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201 in a match regarded as a title eliminator.

Rose Namajunas faced Michelle Waterson on April 15,2017, at UFC on Fox 24.

Rose Namajunas won by submission due to a rear-naked choke in round 2, marking the 5th submission finish in her career.

Rose Namajunas faced Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 4,2017.

Rose Namajunas came in as a big underdog against the undefeated champion.

At the UFC 217 post-fight press conference, Rose Namajunas stated that she intended to use her champion status as a platform to spread awareness of mental illness.

Rose Namajunas spent the remainder of the year recovering from a lingering case of spinal stenosis from a C6 vertebral compression fracture, symptoms of which manifested while training with Valentina and Antonina Shevchenko in 2017, and had intensified during training camp for UFC 223.

Rose Namajunas lost the fight by knockout via a slam in the second round.

Rose Namajunas was scheduled to face Jessica Andrade for a rematch on April 18,2020 at UFC 249.

Rose Namajunas faced Zhang Weili for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on April 24,2021 at UFC 261.

Rose Namajunas won the fight by knockout early in the first round after landing a head kick, claiming the UFC Women's Strawweight World Championship for the second time.

Rose Namajunas became the first female fighter to regain a UFC Championship belt.

Rose Namajunas faced Carla Esparza in a rematch for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on May 7,2022 at UFC 274.

Rose Namajunas lost the fight and title via split decision in a bout that was heavily criticized for both fighter's low output.

Rose Namajunas faced Manon Fiorot on September 2,2023 at UFC Fight Night 226.

Rose Namajunas faced Amanda Ribas on March 23,2024 in the main event, at UFC on ESPN 53.

Rose Namajunas was scheduled to face Maycee Barber on July 13,2024, at UFC on ESPN 59.

Rose Namajunas faced Erin Blanchfield in the main event on November 2,2024 at UFC Fight Night 246.

Rose Namajunas was scheduled to face Miranda Maverick on June 14,2025 at UFC Fight Night 257.

Rose Namajunas utilizes forward movement while pressuring opponents with jabs and high kicks.

Rose Namajunas is known for her advanced technical striking and footwork, using a variety of angles and several creative adjustments.

Rose Namajunas said the documentary gives a "good idea as to what my family had to go through, the reason I'm in the United States today, the reason that I do mixed martial arts, all of that stuff".

Rose Namajunas is the fiancee and training partner of former Glory and UFC heavyweight Pat Barry.

Rose Namajunas has a brother named Nojus, who once operated a private piano studio.

Rose Namajunas herself has played the piano since the age of five.