Rose Namajunas helped define the inclusion of women in the UFC. An appearance on Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter saw Namajunas make the move from Invicta to the UFC. While she lost to Carla Esparza in the inaugural women’s strawweight title fight, she more than earned her spot in the promotion.
Between 2015 and 2022, the Milwaukee-born fighter remained one of the division’s stalwarts, taking the title for herself with a TKO of Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 217. However, a pattern began to emerge. Numajunas would win the title, defend it, then lose it on the second defense.
After losing the title to Esparza at UFC 274 in May 2022, Namajunas decided it was time for a change. She declared her intention to move up to flyweight and is now set to make her division debut against Manon Fiorot this September.
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Namajunas-Fiorot Joins UFC Fight Night Paris Card
ROSE MOVING UP WEIGHT IN PARIS
Rose Namajunas vs Manon Fiorot
September 2 | Paris| 125 lbs
per @MMAJunkie pic.twitter.com/uU1HqwN4Sj
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 23, 2023
First reported by MMA Junkie, Namajunas will face French fighter Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night Paris on September 2. Fiorot has reportedly wanted the Namajunas for some time but is only now getting the chance. However, despite her pedigree, it’s safe to say that Namajunas is throwing herself into the fire with this debut.
Fiorot is one of the UFC’s fastest-rising fighters. She joined the promotion from UAE Warriors in 2021, scoring a TKO over Victoria Leonardo at Chiesa vs. Magny. She is 5-0 under the UFC banner, most recently taking down Katlyn Chookagian via unanimous decision at UFC 280 in October 2022. However, she’s been sidelined ever since by knee surgery.
There is a lot on the line with this fight. For Namajunas, a win would validate her division move and show that she is a force to be reckoned with across two divisions. Meanwhile, victory for Fiorot takes her another step closer to a title challenge. While it would need to wait until the resolution of a potential Grasso-Schevchenko trilogy, Fiorot has done nothing but prove herself since joining the UFC.
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UFC Paris Set For Epic Card
Namajunas vs. Fiorot is not the only banger confirmed for UFC Paris. The card will be headlined by a showdown between Ciryl Gane and Sergey Spivak. It’s Gane’s second time headlining a Fight Night in Paris. The French fighter defeated Tai Tuivasa in 2022.
It’s a chance to bounce back for Gane, who has lost two of his last three fights. Most recently, he was dropped in the first round by Jon Jones. who claimed the heavyweight belt in his division debut. The 16-3 Spivak enters the fight on the back of three consecutive wins. The 28-year-old Moldovan fighter is still working his way toward being in title fight contention. He holds a 7-3 record since joining the UFC in 2019.
Three other fights have so far been announced for the card. Volkan Oezdemir (18-7) faces Azamat Murzakanov (13-0) in the men’s light heavyweight division. Meanwhile, there are two women’s bantamweight fights. Zarah Fairn Dos Santos (6-5) takes on Hailey Cowan (7-3). Additionally, Joselyne Edwards (13-4) fights Nora Cornolle (6-1).
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