Rose Namajunas shut down the biggest hype train in UFC history 10 years ago.
Paige VanZant was getting a huge push from the UFC ahead of her first main event in December 2015.
The strawweight prospect had become a star thanks to her good looks, infectious personality, and four-fight winning streak, which put her on the cusp of big things heading into the toughest of tests.
Rose Namajunas shaved her head to avoid a ‘beauty pageant’ before facing ‘PVZ’, who showed a ton of heart and not much else when she faced off with the future two-time 115lb champion atop a UFC Fight Night card.
Rose Namjunas dismantled Paige VanZant’s hype train
Namajunas took control of her fight with VanZant from the very first bell.
‘Thug’ got an early takedown before battering her opponent on the floor during a five-minute frame that ended with VanZant covered in blood.
After seemingly scoring a 10-8 round, Namajunas did the same thing in the second stanza.
The only impressive thing about VanZant was that she was still in the bout after 15 minutes. Another tough round in the third saw her face turn bright red from the beating and a deep rear-naked choke attempt.
Namajunas locked up two tight armbars in round 4. One of them appeared to pop VanZant’s elbow out of place, but she survived another 10-8 to make it to the fifth frame.
Just as it appeared ‘PVZ’ may record a moral victory by going the distance, Namajunas latched onto another rear-naked choke that was so tight her brave rival tapped out with 2:35 left on the clock.
What’s next for Rose Namajunas?
Paige VanZant was never able to reach the top before leaving the UFC in 2020.
Since then, she’s dabbled in bare-knuckle boxing and slap-fighting while making millions by modeling.
Namajunas has established herself as one of the greatest female fighters of all time during the past decade.
On Saturday, she’ll continue her attempts to become a two-weight champion at UFC Atlanta.
The 32-year-old will face flyweight contender Miranda Maverick at the State Farm Arena.
A win would edge Namajunas closer to a shot at 125lb queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Meanwhile, defeat would mean three losses in five flyweight fights for the fan-favorite
It could mean a move back down to strawweight or we could see Namajunas lay down her gloves and retire if Maverick gets the win.