ATLANTA – Rose Namajunas is very aware of Miranda Maverick’s game going into UFC on ESPN 69, and she is taking her seriously.
Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) has trained with Maverick (15-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) many times in recent years, from conditioning to hard sparring in Colorado. They knew the day might eventually come where they have to share the octagon for real, though, and that moment comes in Saturday’s women’s flyweight co-headliner at State Farm Arena (ESPN, ESPN+).
Maverick has spoken openly about the quality of her training with Namajunas and her hope that translates under the bright lights. Namajunas isn’t as overjoyed about the fight under these circumstances, but said she’s prepared.
“I do like the matchup,” Namajunas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I think that obviously I’d like to be fighting higher-ranked people of course, but I know that she’s better than maybe what her ranking says. To me, as a marital artist, I want to fight whoever can challenge me and I can test myself against. She’s a strong girl and she has some good attributes, but I believe mine are better than hers.
“This is the fight business. She wants what I have. She wants my spot, and I’ve got to just show her she’s got to look for a different spot.”
Namajunas, 32, enters Saturday’s fight in pursuit of a championship opportunity at 125 pounds. The former strawweight titleholder wants to join the exclusive club of fighters to win belts in two weight classes, and said this is an important step in getting there.
“I still feel it’s very possible and very within reach,” Namajunas said. “I’ve actually been in this position before where I was making a title run before and I fought Karolina (Kowalkiewicz) here in Atlanta many years ago, and I thought I was getting that title shot and I lost and I had to kind of rebuild myself. I’ve been here before. Just got to make a statement and do the best that I can and God willing I’ll get that title shot and achieve my goals.”
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