Rose Namajunas defends controversial anti-communism comments ahead of Zhang Weili fight
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (10-4-0) will look to reclaim that crown when she battles current title-holder Zhang Weili (21-1-0) at UFC 261 on April 24, but that contest is generating headlines for reasons that have little to do with the strap.
As ESPN notes, Zhang is the promotion's first and only champion from China, and Namajunas' family is from Lithuania. While recently speaking with a Lithuanian outlet about the upcoming bout, Namajunas referenced the documentary "The Other Dream Team," about the 1992 Lithuanian men's national basketball squad that competed at the Barcelona Olympics shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. In the process, she used a famous anti-communism expression "it's better dead than red."
The 28-year-old defended those comments during an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
"If you're confused about any of my opinions, you can watch the documentary and you could get a good idea as to what my family had to go through, the reason I'm in the United States today, the reason that I do mixed martial arts, all of that stuff," Namajunas explained. "I'd probably have a really different life if it wasn't for everything in that documentary, how Lithuanians had to struggle with communism oppression.
"The reason that I brought it up and that I referenced it is because the reporter suggested I had animosity toward past opponents, and that's what maybe caused some motivation in those fights, and in this one there's no animosity so maybe there's a lack of motivation. But that couldn't be further from the truth."
Namajunas added her comments aren't personal or directed at Zhang, and Zhang has even said she would be friends with her upcoming foe after the fight.
"I love Weili," Namajunas added. "I don't know her. I know she wants to be friends and all that stuff. It would be great to get to know her, if we could, if it's possible."
Namajunas avenged a previous loss to Jessica Andrade last July, while Zhang has won 21 consecutive bouts but hasn't competed since her thrilling victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2020 before the UFC halted its calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More must-reads: