And Still. Two-time UFC strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas has secured the first successful strawweight title defense of her second reign as champion — narrowly edging out former titleholder, Zhang Weili with a split decision (49-48, 48-49, 49-46) triumph in the co-headliner of UFC 268.
Taking the opening round against the Hebei native with her accurate striking, Namajunas managed to score a lot more with her volume striking — with Weili looking to get the fight to the ground whenever possible.
Still entirely dangerous in the pocket and in close quarters, Weili managed to wobble Wisconsin native, Namajunas, and without dropping the champion — Weili’s striking especially during drawn-out exchanges seemed to grab the attention of the defending champion, as did the constant flurry of leg kicks.
Controlling the fight for some considerable time in the fifth round, Namajunas, under the tutelage of Trevor Wittman and Pat Barry took Weili down early in the fifth and final frame — controlling the challenger for some significant time on top prior to the final klaxon.
Below, catch the highlights from Namajunas’ successful defense against Weili.
