Rose Namajunas looked in fine form tonight as she dropped Michelle Waterson with a head kick in the second round tonight at UFC On FOX 24 and then submitted her with a rear-naked choke.
Round One:
Early kick for Waterson. She’s working side kicks to start here from her karate stance. She beautifully lands one side kick to the leg and then immediately connects with another upstairs.
Waterson with a takedown now, but Namajunas craftily is able to take her back. She gets her hooks in then suddenly transitions, but ends up in Waterson’s guard.
Waterson constantly looking to throw up her legs here as Waterson cautiously works to find opportunities to let some ground and pound strikes go.
Namajunas with a couple of hard elbows. Waterson working for a submission, but in the end she uses that distraction to stand, but she eats a strike on the way up.
Elbow to the head lands for Namajunas before they break apart. Nice punch for Namajunas. Waterson thinking about a takedown, but it’s Namajunas who gets it instead and ends the round on top.
Round Two:
Namajunas slapping at her thigh, almost goading Waterson to kick it. Waterson reaching for a takedown, but Namajunas moves out of reach.
Leg kick for Waterson. Another for her and Namajunas was thinking about a takedown there. Suddenly Namajunas lands a big head kick as Waterson is exposed and it drops her to the mat.
Waterson recovers quickly and tries to threaten with a submission as Namajunas follows her to the mat. Waterson sporting damage above her right eye, but she’s still fighting.
Namajunas trying for ground and pound, but Waterson kicks her off and stands up. Namajunas is right on her though and hops on her back.
She’s immediately going for the rear-naked choke as Waterson sinks to the mat. Namajunas has this in tight and Waterson is just able to tap out in time to save herself from losing consciousness.
Namajunas passed a tough test tonight against a quality opponent and that will push her closer to title contention, while ‘The Karate Hottie’ still has plenty to offer in the division too, despit a tough loss tonight.
