‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas got her first win at flyweight on Saturday night, besting top-ten-ranked contender Amanda Ribas in an entertaining back-and-forth scrap at UFC Vegas 89.
After coming up short against Manon Fiorot in her 125-pound debut, Namajunas looked as sharp as ever throughout her 25-minute affair with the Brazilian beauty. Ribas undeniably held her own in her first-ever UFC main event, but her continued reliance on spinning attacks made her offense predictable enough for Namajunas to sit on the outside and use her speed to get in and get out quickly.
The biggest difference-maker on the night was Namajunas’ control time which eclipsed more than six minutes through the five-round bout.