UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas is Done Listening to Joanna Jedrzejczyck’s Title Fight Complaints…
Rose Namajunas is one of the most understated yet best-loved champions on the UFC roster. The strawweight queen genuinely shocked the MMA world when she demolished Joanna Jedrzejczyck in the first round of their UFC 217 clash. This was when Joanna ‘Champion’ looked invincible, brutalizing every woman who dared stand in front of her.
The Polish fighter was given an immediate shot at redemption but couldn’t make the most of it. Namajunas successfully defended her title at UFC 223, with most viewers agreeing that she won 3 out of the 5 rounds.
Since then all Jedrzejczyck has done is complain that because she outstruck Namajunas, she should have won the fight. This has gone on since April, and let’s be honest, it’s pretty tiresome at this stage. Thug Rose has stayed silent until today when she finally addressed Joanna’s inability to accept that she is no longer the champion.
Stupid
The problem with projecting an aura of invincibility and promoting yourself off the back of this is that it can cause complacency and you start to believe your own hype. Jedrzejczyck has also had weight problems, but rather than acknowledge her own faults, she’s chosen to blame everybody else instead. Thug Rose isn’t having this.
“It don’t really bother me,” Namajunas told MMA Fighting. “I know at this point it just kind of sounds silly. The more she talks, the more she just makes herself sound stupid. For me, I like to just try and be positive about everything as much as possible. Of course, you can get dragged into silly s**t.”
“I just remind myself that she was a great champion. I looked up to her at one point in my life for a reason and I just try and remember what she did for the sport and just kind of leave it at that. She was a great champion, but now it’s my time. And eventually, she’s gotta come to terms with that and be OK with it.”
Classy
As you’d expect from a fighter whose first message to the world after winning the title was to ‘Show love’, Namajunas didn’t descend into trash talk. She was honest and clear about what she thinks is going through Joanna’s head. She continued:
“I don’t know what she’s thinking, really,” Namajunas continued later. “But I know what she’s saying and she’s saying I’m scared of this or that. I think all that’s really showing is she don’t want to fight the best. She don’t want to fight me, when she knows I’m the best.”
“She wants me to try and lose to somebody else or something, so she can challenge them or something. But she don’t really want to beat the best — and that’s me. Regardless of whatever she wants, whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen and I’m gonna still keep living my life and just remember that she was a great champion. She was a great champion.”
Who’s The Best?
Namajunas has, of course, told Joanna that she’ll instantly get a third match if she admits who the best strawweight fighter in the world is. Yeah, so that’s not going to happen in this century.
The Colorado native is currently honing her skills as she awaits her next opponent. Karolina Kozakiewicz takes on Jessica Andrade at UFC 228. The winner of that fight will get the next shot at the champion.
Both options are interesting. There’s absolutely no doubt that Namajunas would prefer a fight against Karolina. Firstly, Andrade looks like an absolute brutal monster at that weight class. Secondly, Karolina already holds a win over the champion. Thug Rose would love to get revenge.
