Former two-time strawweight champion and No. 7 ranked flyweight Rose Namajunas faced No. 11 ranked Miranda Maverick in the UFC Atlanta co-main event on Saturday.
Namajunas entered the bout coming off a loss to Erin Blanchfield in her last fight. After losing to strawweight in 2022, Namajunas moved up to the 125-pound weight class to make a run a second divisional title. Since making the move, “Thug” has gone 2-2.
Maverick brought with her a four-fight winning streak. He last fought in December, defeating Jamey-Lyn Horth via unanimous decision. She made the walk to the octagon looking to pick up the biggest win of her career.
Namajunas measured the distance with her jab. Maverick landed two leg kicks and pressed forward with a combination. Namajunas began pressuring Maverick and connected with a right hand. A looping left hand knocked Namajunas off balance. Namajunas clinched and worked to get Maverick to the ground. Maverick defended the takedown attempt and the two separated. Maverick landed a kick to the body. Namajunas responded with a quick combination. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Maverick.
The exchanged jabs to start the second frame. Namajunas pressed forward with a combination. Maverick remained just out of range for follow up shots. Namajunas changed levels and took Maverick down. Maverick closed her guard and tried to control Namajunas’ posture. Namajunas moved to side control and Maverick rolled to her knees. Namajunas look her back and drug her back to the canvas. Namajunas looked for a rear-naked choke but Maverick defended and scrambled to top position. She applied an arm-triangle choke. Namajunas escaped and Maverick delivered short punches. Close round. MMAWeekly scored it 10-9 for Namajunas.
Maverick looked to get Namajunas down early in the third. Namajunas defended the takedown attempt and circled free from the clinch. A right hand dropped Maverick. Namajunas followed her to the canvas landing a hammer fist. Namajunas worked to secure an arm-triangle choke. She ended up letting it go. Maverick scrambled but ended up back on bottom. The round ended with Namajunas on top. MMAWeekly scored the round 10-9 for Namajunas.
The judges scored the fight for Namajunas via unanimous decision. The scorecards read 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.
