Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas earned her ‘Thug Rose’ moniker with an all-time upset.
Rose Namajunas was an overlooked strawweight contender entering her clash with then-UFC champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217. But despite facing one of the best female UFC fighters of all-time, Namajunas concluded her under-the-radar path to the title with a brutal exclamation point.
Before Jedrzejczyk met Namajunas at UFC 217, the then-UFC strawweight champion dominated the division with a 14-0 start to her professional career. Amidst her reign on the strawweight throne, Jedrzejczyk quickly became one of the UFC’s biggest stars with brash pre-fight trash talk to go with a ferocious style inside the cage.
But Jedrzejczyk met her match at UFC 217 in the former The Ultimate Fighter finalist Namajunas.
Rose Namajunas knocked out Joanna Jedrzejczyk to end her dominant title reign
Leading up to UFC 217, Jedrzejczyk repeatedly questioned Namajunas’s mental strength in handling high-profile matchups. A fiery staredown at the UFC 217 ceremonial weigh-in showcased the difference between Jedrzejczyk’s relentless trash talk, and Namajunas’s calm demeanor ahead of the biggest fight of her life.
Namajunas proved she belonged in the same class as Jedrzejczyk with a brutal knockdown just seconds into the fight. But Jedrzejczyk survived an early ground-and-pound barrage to get back to her feet, resuming her intended gameplan to frustrate Namajunas with her range and pressure.
As Jedrzejczyk returned to the center of the cage, Namajunas quickly walked her down, before landing a brutal left hand that sent the champion collapsing to the canvas. After sealing the win with a few ground strikes, Namajunas celebrated in front of a wild crowd at Madison Square Garden as UFC commentator Daniel Cormier repeatedly yelled ‘Thug Rose!’ on the broadcast.
It was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, capping a full-circle turnaround for Namajunas after falling short on TUF. It was Jedrzejczyk’s first loss of her career.
6 years ago, #OnThisDay Rose Namajunas became the UFC Strawweight Champion, stopping Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the first round at UFC 217. pic.twitter.com/ac3ZPqEDxE
— Josh (@JUchiha909) November 4, 2023
Rose Namajunas faces a ‘must-win’ in UFC Atlanta comeback
Namajunas and Jedrzejczyk squared off in an immediate rematch months later at UFC 223. This time, the fight went the full five-round distance and was one of the most exciting wars in women’s MMA history.
Namajunas walked away with a unanimous decision win to retain the title and put Jedrzejczyk out of the title conversation.
Fast forward to 2025, and Namajunas faces a pivotal matchup in her flyweight return at UFC Atlanta. Namajunas and Miranda Maverick will clash in the UFC Atlanta co-main event with title contention on the line.
Jedrzejczyk retired from MMA after a loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 275. She entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2024 as the UFC’s first Polish-born titleholder.