Though it may not have been her most spectacular performance, Namajunas scored a win over Ribas.
After falling short in her divisional debut last September, former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas got on the board at flyweight with a victory over Amanda Ribas in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night main event.
Ribas scored two takedowns during the opening round, but she was unable to do enough with them to overcome the work Namajunas put in. “Thug Rose” had the better showing with her striking and even took control on the ground after Ribas’ second takedown.
Namajunas continued to have control on the ground in the second frame, although Ribas appeared to do more damage, landing several noteworthy strikes and attempting a couple of submissions.
The significant strikes started to add up for Namajunas early in round three, as she worked over Ribas on the feet. But on the canvas, the clear edge went to the Brazilian, who troubled Namajunas with ground-and-pound.
Ribas continued to do some damage in the fourth round, but it was Namajunas who had the better positioning and technique. After a close striking battle in the fifth stanza, Namajunas got the win on the scorecards, with two judges totaling 49-46 and a third giving her a 48-47 win.
