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Rose Namajunas’ Coach Hints Carla Esparza Rematch for Her UFC Return

Published 12/16/2021, 11:26 PM EST

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Rose Namajunas is undoubtedly one of the best female fighters on the roster right now. The fact that she stands second in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings is a testament to the same. She is also dubbed as “Thug Rose” because of the way she fights and carries herself. Rose is a fan favorite and is also the most well-known female fighter in the UFC.

Currently, the UFC women’s strawweight champion, Namajunas was the first woman in UFC history to regain a championship after losing it. As of 17th December 2021, her professional fight record stands at 11 wins and 4 losses. In her entire UFC career, the fighter has lost only once via submission.

This was against Carla Esparza in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. Namajunas lost the fight in the third round via a rear-naked chokehold.

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Trevor Whitman’s thoughts on Rose Namajunas’ next bout

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Recently, Rose Namajunas’ head coach, Trevor Whitman, told MMA Junkie that he is looking forward to Rose taking on Esparza in a rematch to avenge her 2014 loss.

“I think Carla is the biggest challenge out there right now. She beat Rose, and that was where our team really came together. I thought as coaches we made some big, horrible decisions in that fight… There’s a lot of things. So, I want that back as a coach. I think Carla is the toughest fight out there,” said Whitman.

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He added, “Stylistically, she’s the toughest. She’s a grinder and whatever the UFC thinks, maybe it’s just marketability, but that’s the toughest fight out there. But I’m open to fighting anybody honestly…New challenges are great. Rose has got every one of her rematches back that she’s lost, so that would be cool to get back, but honestly the UFC makes the decisions. I’m a coach, and I’m just there to prepare them for who’s in front of them.” 

Do you think Rose Namajunas has what it takes to overcome Carla Esparza in a rematch? Would you want to see this fight? Please do let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Pranit Punjabi

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Pranit Punjabi is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. A third-year psychology major, this Khabib Nurmagomedov fan merged his interest in psychology with his deep passion for MMA and was intrigued by this new angle to help him get closer to the action. Pranit aims to look through the violence and chaos, into what makes MMA truly beautiful, the deep and rich psychological aspect of the game.
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