Former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion, Rose Namajunas, gets candid with us before her match against Maycee Barber

When you listen to Rose Namajunas’ story, you would believe that some people are meant to become MMA fighters. She started practicing taekwondo at the age of five, followed by karate and BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu). During her high school, she trained in kickboxing and mixed martial arts. With such a background in various fighting techniques, it is not a surprise that she is a force to be reckoned within the UFC. Being a two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion speaks a lot about her. Now, the athlete is all set to fight Maycee Barber this weekend and we get chatty with Rose before her match to talk about her preparations for the bout, her journey to the top, her inspirations and lots more…

You are taking on Tracy Cortez this weekend. How are you preparing for the match?

I am well prepared for the fight. I was supposed to fight Maycee Barber, so the game plan was set in terms of wrestling, grappling and defence. I am also just fine tuning my head movement and my striking and everything surrounding it. I did a lot of rounds with Miranda Maverick for this fight and it’s funny because Miranda was supposed to be fighting Tracy and then it got switched. So, we had to change the game plan a bit but it wasn’t a big change.

You are a former two-time UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. How was the journey reaching that level?

The journey was a long one. When I became the champion for the first time, that was pretty crazy and then I ended up losing the belt. Then the journey back to getting the belt was a tough one. I had to reevaluate the reason why I was doing what I was doing. I realised that it’s not just about me and it’s more about the bigger picture. I realised that this was what God’s plan for me was and this is the avenue in which I want to use my gifts to glorify God. That’s what fuelled me in order to get me back to that purposeful state of fighting.

Even though you were born in the United States, your roots are from Lithuania. Do you go back there often?

The last time I was there was for the premiere of my documentary, which was about two years ago and it was a beautiful time and I’ve been dying to go back. It’ll be cool to go back this summer as I dearly miss the place.

Now that you have spoken about your documentary, tell us about how it came to be?

So, the documentary was originally about the Lithuanian Basketball Team. The person (Marius A Markevicius) who made that documentary, heard about me and we were in Los Angeles at that time. This was after I defended my belt and was addressing the media. He reached out to me and we met and had a brief interview. This was in 2019 and since then we tried to keep in touch and then eventually we got to the point where he started talking to the UFC and he was able to get approval for the documentary. During one of my fights, he recorded a lot of footage and then the documentary got released.

Who were some of the MMA artistes you looked up to when you started your career?

Ronda Rousey obviously. She is like the ultimate pioneer. Then there was Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, Nate Diaz and many more. That’s the beautiful thing about MMA, there’s not just one person to look up to. You have people from all walks of life and so many different personalities that shine through their careers.

What kind of a diet do you follow?

I eat whatever I’m feeling at the moment. When I am closer to a fight, I eat a lot of salads, protein, chicken and fish. Usually at this time of the year, I have a great garden in my backyard. I usually eat salads that are produced in my garden. I love looking after my garden. We also have some bees. All of them are healthy and making honey. My grapevines are also doing pretty well.

Finally, have you been to India before?

No, but I have always wanted to come to India. It’s so vast and the culture has always fascinated me. The farthest I have gone to your side of the world is Indonesia and then I went to Abu Dhabi. I love Indian food and the restaurant that’s down the road from our house serves Indian food — but trying the authentic flavours in India would be really cool.

Watch Rose Namajunas vs Tracy Cortez on July 14, 7.30 am. On Sony Sports Network.

Email: alwin@newindianexpress.com

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