The Paige VanZant (6-2) hype train has been building up quite a head of steam over the last few months, but late last night (Thurs., Dec., 11, 2015) Rose Namajunas (4-2) halted it dead in its tracks.
Namajunas, 23, defeated VanZant with a rear-naked choke submission at UFC Fight Night 80 at "The Chelsea" at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada, in what was an absolutely dominant performance. "Thug Rose" took the fight on short notice, filling in for the injured Joanne Calderwood, and still shined.
Namajunas, who was one step ahead of VanZant all night, had the 21-year-old rising star on the defensive for the entire 25 minutes, using excellent striking, takedowns and submission attempts.