UFC fighter Rose Namajunas Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Rose Namajunas' highly anticipated return fight announced

Rose Namajunas, a two-time UFC strawweight champion, will return to the Octagon to face Manon Fiorot on Sept. 2 at UFC Paris, the UFC announced on Friday.

Namajunas (11-5) will make her comeback after a year-long layoff following her disappointing strawweight title loss to Carla Esparza in a lackluster performance. Looking to re-establish herself, Namajunas will move up weight class to face the No. 2 ranked flyweight Fiorot. 

A win over Fiorot would mark a significant comeback for Namajunas. It would regain her lost momentum, propel herself back into title contention and ultimately reaffirm her status as one of the top stars in the UFC. 

Challenging Fiorot (10-1, 6 KO) is no easy feat for Namajunas. With an impressive winning streak of 10 fights, including victories over former title challengers Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia, Fiorot has established herself as a daunting force in the division. 

Namajunas, who has a technical and dynamic fighting style, must showcase her precise boxing, kicks and elusive footwork to outclass Fiorot. The 30-year-old could also rely heavily on her grappling skills to control Fiorot, who is predominantly known as a standup fighter. 

Namajunas, one of the most beloved fighters in UFC history, holds an impressive résumé of her own, with wins over an array of past and present UFC champions, including Zhang Weili, Jéssica Andrade and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

The Namajunas-Fiorot fight will be held at Accor Arena in Paris.  

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