Rose Namajunas predicts title run in 2016: It's my time
Former strawweight title challenger Rose Namajunas believes that by this time, next year, she will be the new world champion at 115 pounds. "Yes," she recently told FOX Sports (above).
"I feel that it's my time."
It sure looked that way last month when Namajunas dominated fellow contender Paige VanZant in Las Vegas. The 23-year-old looked like a completely different and better fighter than she did in her two career losses -- to Carla Esparza in 2014, and Tecia Torres in 2013 (in Invicta).
Namajunas is confident that she'd take Torres out should they rematch, and seems to think that's the fight that is next for her. "Most likely, Tecia kind of makes sense right now," she said.
"I'm open to anything. That's just what it seems to be leaning towards ... I definitely know that I'm a totally different fighter now, and that was not my best performance, and I still feel that I did just enough to win in that fight, even though it didn't go my way."
With that said, Namajunas would gladly jump in to a title fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. "If someone decides to pull out of the title fight, I'm always open for any opportunities," she said.
"So, we're just going to wait for things to develop a little more."
Whoever she fights next, Rose hopes it happens in the spring. She sprained a finger against VanZant, and is taking a little time to heal that while training around it.
Ater that, she'll be ready to prove herself once again in the Octagon. "I want to get back in there March, or April," she siaid.
"My finger is still kind of messed up so I'm trying to get back into training while pampering it a little bit...I'm really looking forward to starting the new year and just getting better at martial arts."
