At UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Teixeira, The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned runner-up Rose Namajunas faced fellow TUF alum Tecia Torres in Tampa Bay, Florida on Saturday. After a very close fight, “Thug” Rose took a unanimous decision, scoring 29-28 from all three judges.
What a scrap we've got going with Namajunas vs. Torres! #UFCTampa https://t.co/CSYi6hxaAB
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 17, 2016
It was the second time they’d met in the cage. Their first fight was at Invicta FC 6 in 2013; Torres won via unanimous decision. Previously undefeated in her professional record, she now moves to 7-1.
This marks Namajunas’s fifth professional win, bringing her record to 5-2. Her entree into the UFC came via TUF, where she won all three fights leading up to the finale with submissions, finishing Alex Chambers with a rear naked choke and Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos with kimuras.
Going into the TUF 20 finale, Namajunas seemed to be on the verge of being crowned the inaugural strawweight champion. But at the finale, Carla Esparza easily handled Namajunas, submitting her with a rear naked choke in Round 3. The defeat was so resounding, Namajunas said (h/t MMAFighting) she “kind of felt like a kid in there.”
Namajunas last fought Paige VanZant in a main event on Fight Pass and returned the favor, finishing her in the fifth round after dominating and bloodying her for most of the fight. Arresting the rise of the much-hyped VanZant firmly reestablished Namajunas as a contender amongst the strawweights, and the expectation for this fight was that she’d bring similar aggression.
While the fight was full of exchanges that saw both fighters feeling the effects, Namajunas would frequently move in to attack, land a powerful strike or two and then retreat. With her reach advantage over the 5’1” Torres, she stayed out of range for much of the fight. However, she had enough power behind her punches that she looked close to finishing Torres at the end of the second.
Namajunas with a left hand that slows the advance of Torres. #UFCTampa
— Rob Tatum (@RobTatumMMA) April 17, 2016
29-28 Namajunas. I don't think Torres clearly won the stand-up for the preceding 4 minutes.
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) April 17, 2016
Torres acted mainly as a counterstriker, waiting for Namajunas to move in. She managed some damage with this strategy, especially in the clinch. Fast and powerful, she seemed to surprise Namajunas as well.
In her post-fight speech, Namajunas said as much. “I am speechless. This has been the toughest fight I have had. There were a lot of times I felt like quitting and pulling out.”
No. 3 ranked Namajunas has only Carla Esparza and Claudia Gadelha ahead of her in the rankings. With Gadelha fighting champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at the Ultimate Fighter finale in July, it’s possible Namajunas’s next fight will be for the belt. Torres, ranked fourth, is a high-enough-level opponent that Namajunas’s options are limited.
Torres said in her post-fight interview, “My pride (is) a little hurt but I will be fine. I wish I would have been more aggressive.” She may end up facing fellow top-15 fighters who have recently—or will soon—suffered losses; Valerie Letourneau could be on deck, or possibly the loser of Jessica Penne vs. Jessica Andrade at UFC 199.
Namajunas, in the meantime, is focusing on her victory. "This, for me, means my early birthday present.”
