Rose Namajunas is a mixed martial artist and one of the most technically gifted women in the octagon today. The Milwaukee native is known for her remarkable prowess and has beaten some of the best women in the sport with some of the most impressive submissions in recent history. She is registered in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and participates in the women’s strawweight division where she is champion.
She has been an athlete and martial artist for most of her life and she had to sacrifice a lot to reach the peak she has reached, even if it means cutting her once beautiful long blonde hair to enhance her game. Fighter inputs certainly pay off. The women’s strawweight champion is ranked 15th in the official UFC pound-pound rankings as of April 2018.
Rose Namajunas Biography, Age
She was born on June 29, 1992, as Rose Gertrude Namajunas in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA to Lithuanian immigrant parents who were both artists. Rose has an older brother. Her mother is a classically trained musician who was able to develop Rose’s fighting skills as well as her creativity. Her background in music makes her a key player in the importance of arts education in schools, but her passion remains athletics.
Namajunas was nicknamed Thug Rose by her friends when she was young because she always had an intimidating menacing look on her face. The scowling face was plastered over to avoid trouble due to its small size. Growing up, she witnessed violence too often and was also sexually abused. To escape, she turned to the world of combat sports and credited fighting with helping her overcome many difficulties in her life. Although the obstacles didn’t make her a great fighter, she fought her way through every one of them.
Rose was throwing punches She started practicing taekwondo at that time and four years later she earned her Pom belt (junior black belt). After that, she stepped up her game and continued practicing karate and jiu-jitsu. While in Milwaukee High School of the Arts, she trained in kickboxing and mixed martial arts and also wrestled in her senior year. She was also an accomplished high school cross-country runner.
Professional career
Rose began competing as an amateur. She trained at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy and set a 4-0 amateur record (2 wins by TKO and 2 by decision). Right after her amateur phase, she made her professional debut on January 5, 2013 against Emily Kagan at Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt, which she won by submission. His win earned him the Submission of the Night bonus. She won her second professional fight in April, also by submission, but lost her third to Tecia Torres in July by unanimous decision.
After posting strong performances at the Invicta Fighting Championship, Namajunas joined the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in December 2013. Along with 10 other strawweight fighters, she competed on Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter for the Whole first UFC strawweight championship. She fought valiantly from the preliminary round of the tournament maintaining her winning streak until the final where she lost to eventual winner Carla Esparza on December 12, 2014.
Although she lost in the finals, she still won two seasons of $25,000 bonus awards for Performance of the Season and Fight of the Season for her fight with her quarter-final opponent, Joanne Calderwood. After the championship, she established herself in the UFC with more wins and awards. Rose earned her first Performance of the Night bonus award on December 10, 2015 at UFC Fight Night 80 after defeating Paige VanZant halfway through the fifth round via submission due to a rear naked choke.
In 2016, she beat Torres by unanimous decision in April, but lost her next fight to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a title-eliminating bout in July, although both won “Fight of the Night” awards for their performance. In 2017, Namajunas scored the fifth submission of her career after her victory over Michelle Waterson on April 15, 2017. She closed the 2017 season with a bang by defeating UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk on November 4, 2017, at become the new champion.
Known for her striking prowess, she knocked out Jędrzejczyk in the first round of knockouts (his first professional career knockout victory). Her victory not only gave her the title, but she also won the UFC’s 2017 Upset Award, as well as her second bonus, Performance of the Night.
On April 7, 2018, Rose Namajunas successfully defended her title in a rematch against Jędrzejczyk at UFC 223 and was ranked 15th in the official UFC pound-by-pound rankings.
Net value
The 1A 65m fighter is making a fortune from her career. She earns her bonuses as well as combat scholarships. His net worth is estimated at $500,000. With more fights and wins expected, we will definitely see his net worth increase in a short period of time.
Rose Namajunas Father, Husband, Boyfriend
Rose Namajunas grew up in a rough neighborhood where she was the only white girl which explains the scowl she always had on for protection. She also had a somewhat lonely life growing up with a mother and stepfather, away from her father, because he had mental health issues; he was schizophrenic.
His father died when he was 16. After witnessing mental illness in her father, she developed passionate feelings for mental health and raised awareness about the issue.
The UFC featherweight champion has been in a relationship with kickboxer and former MMA artist, Pat Barry (born July 7, 1979). Although he is particularly known for his low kicks during his MMA years, his partner is praised for his high kicks and jabs. He is also her sparring partner and the duo are engaged.