Rose Namajunas Bio
Rose Gertrude Namajunas is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the women’s Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion, she is widely regarded as one of the most technical strikers in women’s mixed martial arts. Nicknamed “Thug Rose,” she has compiled a professional record built on precise striking, grappling skill, and a calm, pressure-heavy fighting style.
Standing 5 feet 5 inches tall with a 65-inch reach, Namajunas fights out of an orthodox stance and represents Roufusport in Milwaukee. Beyond her achievements inside the cage, she is known for speaking openly about mental health, her Lithuanian heritage, and her Christian faith, using her platform to encourage others who face similar struggles.
Early Life and Background
Early Life and Background
Namajunas was born on June 29, 1992, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Lithuanian parents who had moved to the United States in 1991. She was named Rose, the Lithuanian form Rožė, in honor of her great-grandmother Rožė Gotšalkaitė Namajūnienė. Her family history is deeply tied to Lithuania, including a grandfather who was a successful wrestler and national champion in his home country.
Her father, Arturas Namajunas, struggled with schizophrenia and left the family when Rose was still young. He died in Germany in 2008 when she was 16. Her mother, a trained pianist who studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, raised Rose and her brother largely on her own in a tough, predominantly African-American neighborhood in Milwaukee, where neighbors nicknamed her “Thug Rose” because she was the smallest but acted the toughest.
Namajunas began training in taekwondo at age five, earning her junior black belt by age nine, and later added karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts, where she was an accomplished cross-country runner, and began training in kickboxing and mixed martial arts with Duke Roufus at Roufusport during her high school years.
Path to MMA
Namajunas began competing as an amateur mixed martial artist in 2010, training under Greg Nelson at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. She posted a perfect amateur record of 4-0, with two wins by technical knockout and two by decision, both finishes coming in the first round. Her rapid development at a young age quickly marked her as a top prospect in the strawweight division.
Her professional debut came on January 5, 2013, against Emily Kagan at Invicta FC 4, where she won by rear-naked choke in the third round and earned a Submission of the Night bonus. Just three months later, she submitted Kathina Catron with a flying armbar in just 12 seconds at Invicta FC 5, picking up another Submission of the Night award. A decision loss to Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6 briefly slowed her momentum, but her talent was undeniable.
In December 2013, Namajunas was selected as one of 11 strawweight fighters to compete on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, which would crown the first-ever UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. Selected fourth overall by coach Gilbert Melendez, she submitted Alex Chambers, then beat Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos with kimura locks to reach the tournament final against Carla Esparza.
Rose Namajunas Career
Early Career (2013–2014)
Namajunas transitioned from the amateur ranks to the professional stage in 2013, and her early record was filled with quick submissions and highlight-reel finishes. Her work at Invicta Fighting Championships earned her a pair of post-fight bonuses and established her as one of the most promising young fighters in the sport. The Ultimate Fighter 20 tournament offered her a national platform to showcase those skills.
Although she lost in the TUF 20 finale to Carla Esparza in December 2014, Namajunas earned two $25,000 season bonuses for Performance of the Season and Fight of the Season for her bout with Joanne Calderwood. Those awards reflected her growing reputation as a fearless finisher and a fighter willing to take on the toughest competition in the division.
UFC Strawweight Breakthrough (2015–2018)
After a series of cancellations and rescheduled bouts early in 2015, Namajunas returned to action with a first-round submission of Angela Hill at UFC 192 in October. She followed that with a fifth-round rear-naked choke win over Paige VanZant in the main event of UFC Fight Night 80, earning her first Performance of the Night bonus. A rematch win over Tecia Torres at UFC on Fox 19 added to her momentum, though a split decision loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201 temporarily halted her climb.
On April 15, 2017, Namajunas submitted Michelle Waterson at UFC on Fox 24, marking the fifth submission finish of her career. The biggest moment of her career came on November 4, 2017, at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden, when she knocked out champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk in the first round to claim the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship in one of the biggest upsets in division history. She followed that with a unanimous decision win over Jędrzejczyk in the rematch at UFC 223 in April 2018, successfully defending the title for the first time.
Strawweight Champion Era (2019–2022)
Namajunas lost the strawweight title to Jéssica Andrade by knockout via a slam in the second round at UFC 237 in May 2019, in her first fight outside the United States. After withdrawing from a scheduled April 2020 rematch due to family losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, she reclaimed the belt with a split decision win over Andrade at UFC 251 in July 2020. Both fights earned her Fight of the Night honors.
In April 2021 at UFC 261, Namajunas faced Zhang Weili and landed a first-round head kick knockout to become a two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion, the first female fighter in UFC history to regain a championship. She defended the title against Zhang in a split decision win at UFC 268 in November 2021, before losing it back to Carla Esparza in a split decision at UFC 274 in May 2022. Following the loss, she announced a move up to the flyweight division.
Flyweight Era (2023–Present)
Namajunas made her flyweight debut on September 2, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 226, where she dropped a unanimous decision to Manon Fiorot. She bounced back on March 23, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 53, earning a unanimous decision over Amanda Ribas in the main event. After Maycee Barber withdrew from a scheduled July 2024 bout, Namajunas defeated replacement Tracy Cortez by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 59.
Her flyweight run hit a rough patch with a unanimous decision loss to Erin Blanchfield in the main event of UFC Fight Night 246 in November 2024, but she returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick at UFC on ESPN 69 on June 14, 2025. Most recently, she faced replacement opponent Natália Silva at UFC 324 in January 2026 after Alexa Grasso withdrew due to injury, losing by unanimous decision, though 13 of 18 media outlets scored the bout for Namajunas.
Style and Strengths
Namajunas is known for her advanced technical striking, creative kicking game, and pressure-forward footwork. She mixes jabs, high kicks, axe kicks, and front kicks while constantly changing angles, then closes distance to threaten submissions. Her calm demeanor and willingness to absorb pressure before exploding with offense have made her a difficult matchup for almost every opponent she has faced.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her first-round knockout of Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 217 in 2017 remains the signature moment of her career and one of the biggest upsets in women’s MMA history. She became the first female fighter to regain a UFC championship with her 2021 head-kick knockout of Zhang Weili, and her 2022 documentary Thug Rose: Mixed Martial Artist further cemented her crossover appeal.
Rose Namajunas Career Wins
Across her professional mixed martial arts career, Rose Gertrude Namajunas has compiled 14 verified wins against 7 losses, with finishes spread across knockouts, submissions, and decisions. Her victories span multiple major promotions and have established her as one of the most decorated strawweights in UFC history.
UFC Strawweight Highlights
Namajunas captured the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship twice, first in 2017 with a stunning first-round knockout of Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 217, and again in 2021 with a first-round head kick of Zhang Weili at UFC 261. She successfully defended the belt twice, against Jędrzejczyk in 2018 and Zhang in 2021, while also earning multiple Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses throughout her UFC tenure.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Namajunas went 2-1 during her 2013 run in Invicta Fighting Championships, earning Submission of the Night honors in each of her first two professional bouts. In grappling competition, she captured a bronze medal in the absolute division at the 2023 ADCC Denver Open, adding to her résumé as a well-rounded martial artist.
Rose Namajunas Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Namajunas comes from a Lithuanian-American family with a strong martial arts heritage. Her grandfather, Algimantas Andriukonis, was a successful wrestler in Lithuania, winning national championships and competing across the USSR. Her father, Arturas Namajunas, struggled with schizophrenia and died in Germany in 2008, while her mother, a trained pianist, raised the family in Milwaukee.
Personal Life
Namajunas is engaged to former Glory and UFC heavyweight Pat Barry, whom she met while training at Duke Roufus’s gym. Barry has served as both her training partner and one of her coaches, and the couple became engaged in 2014. She has a brother named Nojus, a pianist and mixed martial artist who made his professional debut in March 2021. Outside of fighting, Namajunas is a devout Christian and outspoken about her Lithuanian heritage, mental health awareness, and anti-communist beliefs, themes she has woven into her public persona throughout her career.
2025 Season Performance
Rose Gertrude Namajunas continued her transition to the UFC women’s flyweight division throughout 2025 under the Roufusport banner. After a unanimous decision loss to Erin Blanchfield in late 2024, she returned to form on June 14, 2025, at UFC on ESPN 69, earning a clean unanimous decision over Miranda Maverick to reestablish herself inside the divisional rankings.
Heading into late 2025, Namajunas was ranked inside the UFC women’s flyweight top ten and remained an active contender in a crowded division. Her partnership with coaches Trevor Wittman and Pat Barry continued to shape her evolving game, with a growing emphasis on adding power to her technical striking base as she adjusts to the higher weight class.
Looking ahead, Namajunas was scheduled to face former champion Alexa Grasso in early 2026 in a high-stakes matchup, though that bout was reshuffled due to injury. Her consistent activity, technical craft, and championship experience ensure she remains a meaningful factor in the flyweight title picture as the division continues to evolve.
