Rose Namajunas has become a two-time strawweight champion by defeating Zhang Weili at UFC 261. She knocked out Weili with a left head kick in the first round.
The bout took place with 15,269 fans, and it was the first fight in front of the fans since the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the fans’ appearance last year.
Further, a group of NFL players was at the venue to support the former strawweight champion. “There have been a bunch of NFL players who have been rooting for Rose Namajunas; they are not faking it and are very real. They are here for Rose,” the interviewer confirmed the attendance of the NFL players.
NFL players mainly attended the venue to watch Namajunas’ action as she has a history of destroying the opponent brutally. And last night, she was not any different. Four years ago, she earned the first strawweight title after a shocking knockout of Joanna Jedrzejczyk. And the 28-year-old knocked out Weili in a similar fashion.
Rose Namajunas of the United States punches Zhang Weili of China during the Women’s Strawweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
Nevertheless, Namajunas has gained experience through fighting the title bouts. Previously she fought the UFC’s inaugural strawweight title fight in 2014.
Last night’s bout was Namajunas’s fourth appearance at the strawweight title event. Further, she is expected to meet Joanna in her upcoming bout. Jedrzejczyk holds the division’s record for most title defenses by defending the title five-time.
