Rose Namajunas reveals secret weapon for UFC 324 fight that may set up Valentina Shevchenko showdown

‘Thug Rose’ has brought a fighter with Olympic pedigree into her training camp.

Rose Namajunas is one of the big names tasked with kicking off the UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+ on January 24.

UFC 324 will mark the first event broadcast on the streaming platform, and the promotion will hope that Namajunas and a host of other former champions and notable contenders start the partnership with a bang.

‘Thug Rose’ will be continuing her charge toward two-division supremacy up at flyweight, having left behind the strawweight division after two title reigns.

If she is to secure a crack at unseating Valentina Shevchenko from the throne, Namajunas must do something that no woman has in the UFC — beat Natalia Silva.

Rose Namajunas has brought Olympic medalist into her UFC 324 camp

Namajunas was left switching up her preparation after Alexa Grasso withdrew from their UFC 324 matchup due to injury shortly after it was announced.

Many think an even better matchup has come about after Silva stepped in, but the Brazilian poses a much different threat than the Mexican ex-champ would have.

The 28-year-old is a striking specialist whose perfect 7-0 UFC record includes recent triumphs over Grasso and Jessica Andrade. No one has yet been able to crack Silva’s puzzle on the feet inside the Octagon, which has helped her form a 13-fight professional winning streak.

In pursuit of changing that, Namajunas has brought a bronze medalist in taekwondo from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris into her training camp.

“We have this girl, Kristina Teachout, that’s coming in town. She’s a taekwondo bronze medalist, Olympian taekwondo practitioner,” Namajunas said on her YouTube channel.

“I’m very excited because obviously I’m fighting Natalia Silva, so she’s got that taekwondo base and everything like that. And she adapts it for MMA very well.

“We’re just kind of bringing her in just to kind of help with that and get my kind of dexterity up with my kicks and stuff, and reaction and timing, and everything like that,” she continued.

“I don’t plan on her mimicking Natalia by any means, but I’m just a true martial artist. I feel like everything helps and everything can be applied if you have the imagination for it.”