UFC strawweight title contender Rose Namajunas has appeared nude for Women’s Health magazine’s naked issue.
The 23-year-old Namajunas is one of the most talented young female fighters in the sport and joins a growing list of MMA star’s who have stripped down to their birthday suit for a magazine shoot, with the likes of Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Miesha Tate and Michelle Waterson all having done so for ESPN Magazine’s ‘Body Issue’ in the past.
“My naked body is… the story of my whole life,” Namajunas said in her Women’s Health interview to accompany the photo. “There’s a lot around us that we can’t control, but my body, my mind, and my soul are pretty much the only things that I can. All the scars on my body, all the bumps and bruises, all the muscles—that is a story of everything I have done. And it’s not just my story. My ancestors who came before me gave me this vessel to sculpt and mold.
“My hands look like my dad’s and my mom’s put together. She’s a piano player, he was an artist, and I use the creative qualities I got from them in my fighting. But I don’t just destroy with my hands, I also create: I cook and make art and garden. Being resourceful and creating is a big part of my Lithuanian culture. My grandfather is part of who I am too. He was a professional wrestler. He had a very functional, very slick, long frame.
“I’ve thought about what it would be like to look different. Sometimes I’m like, Aw, man, it would be nice to have a little more boobage going on! But my body is designed to move and be agile and be like an Amazon warrior. Boobs would hold me down.
“I have a middle finger that was jammed in one of my craziest fights, and it looks like a swollen turkey to this day. There’s a bone chip that’s in there, and it’s a reminder that this finger contributed to my fight, and to my beautiful house, to everything in my life. It might be ugly, but it’s mine and I love it. I’ve got some big old knees, big old feet. I could nitpick, but at the same time, I think it’s all friggin’ beautiful.”
