At age 32, does Rose Namajunas feel she’s already an all-time great? ‘Sometimes I don’t and sometimes I do’

ATLANTA — Rose Namajunas became infamous for telling the world during her UFC title runs — and more importantly, telling herself — that she’s the best.

To say it is one thing, though. To do it is another.

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Yet Namajunas’ résumé speaks for itself, especially in the strawweight division, where she made history in 2021 as the first woman to become a two-time UFC champion.

Now a top-ranked flyweight contender, Namajunas remains in hot pursuit of her third win at 125 pounds when she battles Miranda Maverick on Saturday night in UFC Atlanta’s co-main event.

Regardless of the outcome this weekend, though, Namajunas’ place in MMA history is cemented with all she’s accomplished. So at just age 32, does she feel she’s earned the status of an all-time great?

“Sometimes I don’t and sometimes I do,” Namajunas told Uncrowned.

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“I know that I have everything it takes within me to do that and to be that. The only reason I think that I might not be is because I’ve never done the necessary sacrifices in order to do that, as far as make nothing else important in life. I think I just have a little bit more of a balanced lifestyle.”

Namajunas’ perspective almost sounds too humble to be true. The proud former champion has been entrenched in a martial arts lifestyle since her late teens, and has shined under the brightest lights the sport has to offer.

Hers has truly been a case of growing up in the sport, which meant plenty of trial and error to reach her championship heights. And while there are a handful of ways to quantify what makes someone an all-time great, Namajunas has grown friendly with the person who first comes to her mind whenever the GOAT debates rage on. That person also happens to be the titleholder of Namajunas’ current division.

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“For me, it’s always the professional that I look at — who’s the most professional,” Namajunas said. “Valentina [Shevchenko] always exudes that to me. Amanda [Nunes], obviously, what she’s done, I don’t know how anybody’s going to really top that. I’m not saying she’s unprofessional by any means. It’s just Valentina is my favorite, as far as just the way she is as a martial artist and things like that. I just feel like the way she lives, like a warrior lifestyle and things like that — that’s something that I admire a lot.”

Even early on in her career, it was always evident that there was something to Namajunas. When she appeared on “The Ultimate Fighter 20” in 2014, the UFC saw it too, hyping Namajunas up as the next Ronda Rousey — a run that ultimately led to her first title shot in only her fourth pro bout. That’s a lot of pressure for anyone, let alone a 22-year-old with only a year of professional experience under her belt.

The mental side of the game has been well-documented for Namajunas over the years. She keeps herself relatively detached from the world outside her bubble, focusing on life’s simpler luxuries — like the expansion of her home garden — when not preparing to trade kicks and punches with another human.

Rose Namajunas is a two-time UFC strawweight champion. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

(Jeff Bottari via Getty Images)

So imagine if Namajunas had completely — maybe overly — consumed herself with fighting all this time? Her legacy might be enhanced, but would it be worth it for one of UFC’s most cerebral standouts?

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“In terms of my physical talent and skill and everything that I’ve been given, I know I could turn that into that if I literally just only put that as an idol, and only did that and nothing else,” Namajunas said. “So the times where I do focus in and just shut everything out, that’s when I do show those qualities. It’s just not sustainable for me as a human being to do that for the rest of my life, or for the rest of all time, because I’ll just be unhappy.

“With all that being said, I am all locked in [right now] and I am focused in on everything I do. I am very competitive and I have that drive to be the best. That’s why I say not just, ‘I’m the best,’ but when I do my best, I am the best — because I know that when I do my best, I am the best. So that’s kind of where I’m at with it. Sometimes I don’t feel worthy of claiming that, sometimes only because I know that the fans want that out of me. Sometimes I feel like I can put that aside and focus on other things in life a little bit more. That’s just me trying to be as honest as possible.”

The pressure that comes with being a UFC champion has been an obstacle Namajunas had to tackle during various stages of her career, and, for a time, it made her less active than she hoped. However, in 2024, Namajunas fought three times, tying her career-high for yearly activity since she debuted in 2013.

As UFC Atlanta approaches, “Thug” gets back to work hoping to replicate 2024’s breakneck pace.

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“That’s just something that I’ve wanted my entire career,” she said. “It just never played out that way. And I think even though maybe it doesn’t show in my performances necessarily to the fullest, to the way that I know it, I feel like this is the most spiritually strong — and physically and mentally strong — that I’ve been as far as I can remember. Just like the growth that I’ve made and the changes that I’ve made in my life. Also, probably a big part of it is I’m completely sober. I don’t even drink like caffeine anymore, which is crazy.

“So I think that kind of plays into it. Having way more discipline in my life, I was able to kind of stay more active instead of having excuses for things.”