Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is set to return to the Octagon as a flyweight. She will face Manon Fiorot on Sept. 2 at UFC Paris. MMAWeekly.com confirmed the news following an initial report by MMAJunkie.
Namajunas (11-5) is a two-time champion at 115 pounds. She hasn’t fought since losing the belt in a narrow split-decision loss to Carla Esparza in May of 2022.
Though she remains ranked No. 2 in the strawweight division, Namajunas returns at 125 pounds to make a run on the flyweight division. While she is new to the weight class, she is shooting straight for the top.
Namjunas faces No. 2 ranked flyweight Fiorot (10-1), who has been sidelined with injuries since defeating perennial contender Katlyn Chookagian in October of 2022.
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With UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso set for an immediate rematch against the woman she took the belt from, Valentina Shevchenko, Fiorot can’t sit idly by, especially after already having been sidelined for so long. But a victory over Namajunas, a former champion, would keep her in the catbird seat after Grasso and Shevchenko settle their score.
Namajunas, however, can leap over nearly everyone in the division should she put on an impressive performance in her flyweight debut opposite Fiorot. So there is a lot at stake in this bout.
UFC Paris is headlined by a heavyweight showdown between top contenders Cyril Gane and Serghei Spivac.
Rose Namajunas moves to flyweight for UFC Paris fight
