If you’ve seen Rose Namajunas fight, you understand the basis for her nickname, Thug Rose. Often spotting her opponents a height and reach advantage—as well as a head of hair—she wins with a one-two combination of mercilessness and versatility. The UFC women’s strawweight champ, she hasn’t lost in three years and beat the former champ, Joanna Ju0119drzejczyk, not once but twice.
When she is not fighting, Namajunas is a “thug” the way the 300-pound super-heavyweight is “Tiny"—the nickname so absurd it’s almost comical. Speaking with flat Midwest candor, Namajunas is the rare elite athlete happy to address her vulnerabilities, her fears, her love of journaling.