Ahead of their UFC 261 clash in Florida on April 24, Rose Namajunas admits that champion Weili Zhang will be the toughest opponent she has ever squared off with.
Strawweight champion Weili Zhang captured UFC gold back in 2019 against a familiar opponent for “Thug Rose” in Jessica Andrade. Following the slam knockout that led to Rose Namajunas losing her belt, Andrade would then try to defend the title on enemy territory just as Namajunas attempted. However, the venture did not go as planned in Shenzhen, China, and Andrade would drop her belt to Zhang in her first opportunity at a title defense.
Rose Namajunas Understands The Fight She Is In For
In an interview with ESPN, the former strawweight champion “Thug Rose” spoke about the herculean challenge at hand, and what she expects before entering into a firefight with the champion.
“Yeah, she’s definitely my toughest matchup to this point. Rose Namajunas said to ESPN. I mean, every fight’s the toughest fight, but for this one, she beat Joanna, she beat Andrade, I’ve done the same. Obviously, our fights are a little different, but for the most part, she’s tested, and a true champion, and she’s got a lot of skillsets and the experience to go with it. So, yeah, I’m fully aware of the challenge I have ahead of me.”
In her most recent outing, Rose Namajuanas edged a split-decision victory against Andrade in a back-and-forth battle. On the other hand, the champion is coming off a five-round fight-of-the-year war with former strawweight queen Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
With Zhang’s furious pace and aggressive style, a fight with Rose Namajunas is a promise of fireworks. Without a doubt, a technical masterclass will be put on display by both athletes as they each have a different way of striking. In addition, it will be intriguing to see how the champion handles the ground game of Rose Namajunas too.
Who do you favor in the strawweight title fight between Zhang and Rose Namajunas? Let us know your prediction below!
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