UFC Rankings Update: Rose Namajunas Takes #7 Spot After Ex-Champ’s Win at 125 Lbs Division; One Change in UFC HW Division

Rose Namajunas has found herself moving up the rankings after her recent win against Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 89. The former strawweight champion took on the Brazilian for a 5 round clash at the event. Her debut in the flyweight division last year against Manon Fiorot didn’t go as planned as ‘Thug Rose’ was unable to secure the win and lost a unanimous decision over 3 rounds.

However, with her recent performance against Ribas, Namajunas has ended her 2-fight skid that began with her losing the UFC strawweight title to Carla Esparza in 2022. As such, let’s explore the changes in ranking for the women’s flyweight division, along with another interesting update in the UFC heavyweight rankings!

Rose Namajunas makes progress toward the top spot in the flyweight division

The clash between Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas was considered a pivotal fight for Namajunas’s decision to change weight-classes. Due to her last 2-fights ending in losses, many experts had pointed out that her future in the new division hinged on her performance against Ribas.

While Namajunas was coming off a loss, Ribas had secured a TKO finish against Luana Pinheiro in her last Octagon outing in 2023. However, the bout was contested at strawweight and she moved up to flyweight to face Namajunas. The fight between the two was a back and forth affair but Namajunas managed to showcase her impressive grappling during the exchanges on the ground. At the end of 5 rounds, ‘Thug Rose’ was declared the winner via a unanimous decision.

And now, according to an update shared on X by Jed I. Goodman, Rose Namajunas has moved up to the number 7 spot in the women’s flyweight division. Her win against Ribas also led to the Brazilian moving down to the number 9 spot.

And in the UFC heavyweight division, Serghei Spivac found himself moving down to the number 9 spot, as well. These updates highlight the dynamic nature of MMA rankings and set the stage for potential future matchups and developments in both divisions.

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With the much-needed win against Ribas secured, Rose Namajunas has also indicated that she already has another target in mind as she made an interesting response to the name of a possible opponent for her next appearance inside the Octagon!

‘Thug Rose’ wants to take on “savage” Maycee Barber

With her victory over Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 89, Rose Namajunas has opened up a range of options for her next fight! During the post-fight press conference for UFC Vegas 89, when Maycee Barber was brought up as a potential opponent, Namajunas revealed, “I think she’s a savage…But she’s really tough, and that would definitely motivate me and get me going every day, because I know she throws with really bad intentions.”

Her remarks are interesting as Barber is currently riding high on a 6-fight win streak since the loss against Alexa Grasso at UFC 258 in 2021. With Namajunas’s intentions to possibly face her next, fans will be eagerly awaiting more developments for the potential clash between ‘Thug Rose’ and ‘The Future!

However, during the press conference, Namajunas also confessed, “It was kind of weird not being ranked too. Can I just get ranked now?”, and her request seems to have been answered with the update regarding her move up to the number 7 spot in the division.

As Namajunas continues to make strides in the flyweight division, cementing her status as a top-tier athlete in the UFC, who do you think ‘Thug Rose’ should fight next? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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