Rose Namajunas moves to flyweight for fight against Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris in September
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The flyweight division has a new challenger as ex-strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will make the move up to 125 pounds to face Manon Fiorot at the upcoming UFC Fight Night card in Paris on Sept. 2.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion's plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Friday. MMA Junkie initially reported the matchup.
A stalwart at strawweight since first arriving during The Ultimate Fighter season 20, Namajunas is a two-time champion and still considered one of the top pound-for-pound women's fighters in the sport. This will be her first appearance since losing a lackluster split decision to Carla Esparza back in May 2022 that cost her the UFC strawweight title.
Now Namajunas will try her hand at flyweight instead and she's jumping right into the deep end of the division with her fight in September.
With a 10-1 record overall including five wins in the UFC, Fiorot made a quick rise up the ranks to put herself within striking distance of a title shot opportunity. Fiorot has been out of action since October 2022 when she defeated perennial contender Katlyn Chookagian but injuries have kept her sidelined ever since.
Her return in her home country of France will give Fiorot the chance to face one of the biggest names across the women's divisions while potentially earning a shot at gold with a victory.
Namajunas vs. Fiorot joins a growing lineup at UFC Paris with heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivac set to headline the card on Sept. 2.
Mike Heck contributed to this report.
Rose Namajunas moves to flyweight for fight against Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris in September originally appeared on NBC Sports
