Prior to “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale, Rose Namajunas was the UFC’s next big thing, a fighter who seemed to possess that elusive “it” quality that can be so hard to attain.
Namajunas’ fame proved to be fleeting, however, as she was throttled and submitted by Carla Esparza approximately one year ago. The Grudge Training Center product returned to the win column in October, submitting Angela Hill in the first round at UFC 192.
Her transformation wasn’t complete until Thursday night, when she authored the most complete performance of her career en route to submitting Paige VanZant in the fifth round of the UFC Fight Night headliner in Las Vegas.