Rosa Namajunas was born June 29, 1992, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2022 makes her 30. Rose Namajunas is the daughter of Jolita Frank and Arturas—Pianist Rose’s mother. Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre trained her.
Rose was 16 when her father died of illness in Germany in 2008. He died of schizophrenia. Her brother Nojus Namajunas reared her.
Rosa Namajunas Early Life
Rose Namajunas got an early start in combat sports by beginning Taekwondo at five and earning her junior black belt by the time Rosa Namajunas was nine years old. In addition to this, Rose would also engage in the martial arts of karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
In high school, Namajunas began training in mixed martial arts and made her MMA debut as an amateur in 2010. Rosa Namajunas would win her first four amateur bouts before making her professional debut in 2013 at Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt. Before moving to the UFC, Namajunas competed in Invicta with a record of 2-1.
Rosa Namajunas Career
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the martial artist began training in Taekwondo at five. Rosa Namajunas received her first poom belt (junior black belt) when she was nine.
Rosa Namajunas began practicing karate, jiu-jitsu, and Kickboxing in high school, alongside other martial arts such as Duke Roufus. Rosa Namajunas began her MMA fighting career as an amateur in 2010.
Esparza vs. Hyatt at Kagan at Invicta FC 4. Namajunas won the fight by submission in round three, thanks to a rear-naked choke.
On April 5, 2013, Rosa Namajunas faced Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson. Rosa Namajunas also won by submission, thanks to a flying armbar 12 seconds into the opening round. She lost a unanimous decision to Tecia Torres at Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg in July 2013.
Rosa Namajunas was later signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) alongside ten other strawweight fighters in December 2013. Rosa Namajunas then faced up against several well-known competitors, including Nina Amsaroff, Angela Hill, and Paige VanZant.
Rosa Namajunas rose to fame, however, in November 2017 when Rosa Namajunas fought Joanna Jedrzejczyk to become the new UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. Rosa Namajunas won the fight via first-round KO.
Rose is a black belt in Taekwondo and Karate, in addition to martial arts. Rosa Namajunas is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Rose Namajunas The Ultimate Fighter
In December 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) signed Rose Namajunas to compete in the upcoming 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which will determine the winner of the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship.
Rose was chosen fourth overall by team Melendez, and Rosa Namajunas remained undefeated throughout the competition until the end when Carla Esparza defeated her for the title.
Rose Namajunas UFC
At UFC 192, Rose Namajunas would debut in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, defeating Angela Hill in the first round by submission (a rear-naked choke).
After this, Rose would go on to defeat Page VanZant and Tecia Torres, but then Rosa Namajunas would suffer a defeat at the hands of Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201.
Rose would go back on track by earning a flyweight championship chance against the reigning champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk through her victory over Michelle Waterson at the UFC on Fox 24 event.
At UFC 217, Rosa Namajunas would get the win over Joanna, which would make her the new UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. At UFC 223, Rosa Namajunas won another victory over Joanna, allowing her to keep her title.
At UFC 236, Rose would be knocked out by Jessica Andrade in the second round, and Andrade would go on to win the championship. Rose’s tenure as champion would only last for a while.
Rosa Namajunas would get the opportunity to revenge for this loss against Andrade at UFC 251. If Rosa Namajunas won, Rosa Namajunas would receive a fight against Weili Zhang for the flyweight title.
Namajunas would fight Zhang at UFC 261, and Rosa Namajunas would win the war by knocking out Weili in the first round with a head kick ko to become the first woman to win the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship twice.
Rosa Namajunas Awards and achievements
During her career, the American mixed martial artist has won several prizes in her field.
The following are some of the awards:
Lithuanian American National Hall of Fame
Class of 2019 ESPY Award nomination (2018 for Best Fighter and 2021 for Best MMA Fighter) Lithuanian American National Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Lithuanian American National Hall of Fame.
The candidate for the Kids’ Choice Sports 2018 Award for Biggest Powerhouse 2017 Woman of the Year, awarded at the eighth annual Real Women Awards.
Rosa Namajunas Biography in Brief
| Name: | Rosa Namajunas |
| Nick Name: | Thug |
| Age: | 30 |
| Born: | 29 June 1992 |
| Gender: | Female |
| Height: | 5’5″ft |
| Weight: | 130 lbs |
| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Net Worth/Salary | $ 1.5Million |
| Husband/Boyfriend | Pat Barry |
| Relationship Status | married |
| Kids- | 0 |
| Father | Arturas Namajunas |
| Mother | Jolita Frank |
| Siblings | Nojus Namajunas |
| Social Media | Twitter – Instagram – Facebook |
Rosa Namajunas Salary
Rose Namajunas does not receive a consistent income month after month. Instead, the amount that Rosa Namajunas makes is contingent on a number of other aspects, such as who her competitor is.
For instance, in 2018 Rosa Namajunas earned a total of $240,000 following her rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, which was her year with the highest paycheque total.
The female martial artist also earned a respectable sum in the first battle Rosa Namajunas competed in, which was against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and resulted in her receiving $230,000.
Rosa Namajunas Net Worth
Rose Namajunas’s net worth is $1.5 million as of 2023. According to The Sportsbiomedia.com, her career earnings from the UFC are $1,524,500.
Rose Namajunas Endorsements
Rose is a well-known figure in mixed martial arts (MMA). Rosa Namajunas is endorsing products for major brands like Reebok, Puma, and Adidas. Rosa Namajunas made around half a million dollars through her extensive list of sponsorships.
Rose Namajunas Most Popular Fights
Rose Namajunas vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk
At UFC 217, Rose Namajunas and Joana Jedrzejczyk were scheduled to compete for the title of UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. Rose, the underdog, would dominate the champion and land 15 strikes to Joanna’s five before punching her out in the first round to win the new UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion. Joanna would not recover from the knockout, and Rose would become the new champion.
Rose Namajunas vs Weili Zhang
At UFC 261, Rose Namajunas challenged Weili Zhang for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion title. Their fight took place in The Las Vegas.
Rose would become the first female fighter in the history of the UFC to successfully defend her title by knocking out Weili with a head kick in the second minute of the fight. This feat would make her the only female fighter in the organization’s annals to accomplish this feat.
Rose Namajunas vs Weili Zhang 2
This fight between the two was far more intense than they had previously engaged in. Rose took a cautious approach at the beginning of the battle as Rosa Namajunas tried to figure out Whang’s strategy and devise a response to it.
Weili, on the other hand, displayed significant improvement in her wrestling skills, as Rosa Namajunas took Rose down three times and won the critical early rounds.
In rounds 4 and 5, Rosa Namajunas staged a comeback and prevailed over Zhang. Ultimately, the bout was decided based on the judges’ scorecards. Rose Namajunas was awarded the victory via a split decision.
Rosa Namajunas Boyfriend /Partner
Pat Barry is Rose Namajunas’s training partner. The couple has gotten engaged. Pat Barry is a former MMA heavyweight champion. Pat and Rose are training partners.
Rosa Namajunas Fun Facts
- Joanna Jedrzejczyk was a formidable boxer in the strawweight division during her time. Rosa Namajunas had a 14-0 professional MMA record with five successful UFC championship defenses. Rosa Namajunas stunned the world by becoming the first fighter to outclass Jedrzejczyk in an MMA battle at UFC 217. In a rematch in April 2018, Namajunas defeated the Polish boxer again.
- Rose Namajunas is engaged to a former UFC heavyweight “Pat Barry”. When Rosa Namajunas was 14, they met for the first time at the Roufusport gym in Milwaukee. Barry had yet to start his MMA journey and was still a kickboxer.Namajunas allegedly punched Barry in the face jokingly at their first meeting. Rosa Namajunas’s MMA training was significantly improved after being mentored by former UFC heavyweight Trevor Wittman.
Years later, sparks began to fly between Namajunas and Barry. ‘HD’ is regularly spotted encircling his fiancee during her fights. - Like most of the MMA community, UFC analyst Joe Rogan asked why Rose Namajunas was given the moniker “Thug.” According to the strawweight champion, one of her Jamaican neighbors gave her that nickname because of her no-nonsense demeanor.
Rosa Namajunas may not be a thug in her everyday life. Still, Rosa Namajunas indeed fights like one when she steps inside the octagon.
With an impressive UFC career and only 28 years old, ‘Thug’ could be on the verge of glory in the following years. - Daniel Cormier called Rose “Thug Rose” after Rosa Namajunas defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk as an underdog. Cormier could only utter the new champion’s nickname.Her simple look earned her the nickname “Thug” at a young age. At the UFC 217 weigh-ins, Rose and Joanna glared down. Rose seemed to be able to ignore anything but her opponent.
