Rose Namajunas showed up at UFC Atlanta ready to remind everyone she’s still a force to be reckoned with. Her slick striking, top control, and third-round knockdown sealed a unanimous decision win over Miranda Maverick. It was ‘Thug Rose’s third win at flyweight, and a much-needed one after the loss to Erin Blanchfield in her last outing. But while fans were focused on the action inside the cage, one seasoned voice from the outside had a different target in his sights.

Enter Chael Sonnen, a former middleweight title challenger, high-level wrestler, and a man who’s never afraid to call it like he sees it. As Namajunas and Maverick traded grappling exchanges, Sonnen wasn’t watching the fight through casual eyes. He was listening to the commentary, and ‘The American Gangster’ clearly didn’t like what he heard.

Taking to X, Sonnen wrote, “Why are these announcers calling a front headlock a head pinch? It’s infuriating. We needed to fight back at GATOR BACON. Give an inch they want a mile.”

His gripe didn’t end there. His next target? Sonnen shared, “When they tried to rename a “head and arm” a “headlock,” I knew we had a problem” and followed it up with, “HAND FIGHT instead of TIE UP.”

To the casual fan, those differences might seem minor. But in wrestling, terminology matters. It’s the difference between knowing what’s unfolding and misrepresenting the entire exchange. Sonnen, who wrestled from the age of nine and earned All-American honors at the University of Oregon, isn’t just being picky; he’s defending a foundational part of MMA.

And when you look at Namajunas vs Maverick through his eyes, the frustration makes sense. Maverick attempted takedowns, pushed with pressure, and reversed positions. Namajunas hunted for submissions, scrambled to top control, and fought for wrist control. But if the commentary glosses over those nuances or uses incorrect terms, the casual viewer might end up missing the depth of what’s happening.

After all, modern MMA has evolved far beyond two fighters swinging for the fences. And to Sonnen, getting the terminology right isn’t just about accuracy, it’s about preserving the soul of the sport and ensuring that the influences from other sports like wrestling get the credit they deserve. His frustration highlights a real issue in fight broadcasting: as MMA grows, the language used to describe it must grow with it, or at least stay true to its roots.

With that being said, despite the commentary’s blunders, Rose Namajunas walked away with her hand raised. And the question now becomes, what comes next for the former strawweight champion?

Rose Namajunas strengthens her case for a title shot with win over Miranda Maverick at UFC Atlanta

Inside the Octagon, Rose Namajunas and Miranda Maverick went to war. It was a high-paced, closely contested scrap, but Namajunas edged ahead with clean striking, smart grappling, and a crucial knockdown in the final round. She pushed the pace early, tagging Maverick with combos and landing a takedown in Round 2 that led to extended ground control.

Maverick had her moments, too. She reversed position, threatened with an arm-triangle, and closed Round 2 with some heavy ground-and-pound. But in Round 3, Rose’s experience showed. A sharp left hand sent Maverick crashing to the mat. Namajunas tried to finish, but Maverick survived. Still, Rose rode out the round from the top, sealing a unanimous decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.

So, could a title shot really be next? Namjunas hinted at that very possibility in an interview with MMA Junkie before UFC Atlanta, sharing, “I don’t know, I hope a title shot Obviously that’s what I’m hoping for, so I’ve really got to put a good performance on and just do my best, and really just let God take the wheel, and whatever opportunities come way, I’ll be ready for it.”

Given her resume, a two-time strawweight champion and now a legitimate threat at flyweight, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to see Namajunas in a title eliminator next. The opponent? That remains to be seen.

To wrap things up, Rose Namajunas may have walked out of UFC Atlanta with her hand raised, but as Chael Sonnen pointed out, it wasn’t just the fighters under the spotlight; it was the language surrounding them. In a sport where every grip, scramble, and setup matters, calling a “front headlock” a “head pinch” might seem like a small infraction, but it reflects a deeper disconnect between commentary and craft. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!