Rose Namajunas eyes Natalia Silva or Alexa Grasso as potential fights to earn title shot
Rose Namajunas eyes Natalia Silva or Alexa Grasso as potential fights to earn title shot
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UFC on ESPN 69: Rose Namajunas post-fight interview
UFC on ESPN 69 winner Rose Namajunas talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after her decision victory over Miranda Maverick in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – Rose Namajunas believes she's on the verge of a title shot at 125 pounds, but she wants to truly earn it.
Namajunas (14-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) returned to the win column at UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena with a clear unanimous decision win in the co-main event over Miranda Maverick. Not only did Namajunas, currently ranked No. 7 by the UFC, fight back in the rankings as Maverick is No. 11, but it was also against someone she has trained with in the past.
Next time out, the former strawweight champ wants to face someone to get her in position for a title shot at 125 pounds.
"When I was originally looking to get back in there before this fight, I was looking at Viviane (Araujo), but she's matched up with Tracy (Cortez), so not that one," Namajunas said at a post-fight news conference "Anybody. I know I just fought Erin (Blanchfield), so that wouldn't make sense, or maybe it does. I don't know. They probably wouldn't want to do that. I don't know, I have to look and see. There's Natalia (Silva), there's Alexa Grasso. Yeah, I'm kind of blanking right now. I also just fought Manon (Fiorot). Any of those girls. Anybody that's in the top five or whatever, that would be awesome. If something crazy happens and I'm deserving of a title shot, I'd love that as well, but I want to be deserving. So, whatever it takes to get that.
Of those names ranked ahead of her, Namajunas expanded more on Silva (19-5-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Grasso (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC).
"It would be kind of a full-circle moment," Namajunas said about Grasso. "I remember back when I was in Invicta and she was still coming up, she came up to me and was like, 'Oh, I love you so much! You're such an inspiration!' Now she's became champion in this weight class, and you know. So that would be kind of crazy to see us. Maybe that happens, I don't know."
Silva, currently ranked No. 1, may be next up for a title shot against current champ Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso, currently ranked No. 3, is on a two-fight skid, which includes a title loss in a trilogy against Shevchenko and a loss to Silva. Between the two, Namajunas believes Grasso is a better matchup.
"I think Alexa Grasso, would probably be stylistically I think a little bit better for me," Namajunas said. "I think Natalia, her speed is very tricky and she sustains it for a very long time. She would be a little bit more of a trickier fight, but I think just with my experience and everything like that – I think either of those girls – and Alexa has the experience as far as the title fights and stuff like that. I would say leaning more towards Alexa be a little bit better of a matchup for me, but Natalia, I think I match up really well with as well. I just have to be very smart and have a good gameplan for her."
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