Rose Namajunas not counting Carla Esparza out against "machine" Zhang Weili

With the women's strawweight title fight between Carla Esparza and Zhang Weili right around the corner, former 115lb champion Rose Namajunas has given her prediction for the championship clash.

'Thug' Rose will end the year with just one fight on her books for 2022, but hopes to be back in the octagon sometime next year. Her most recent outing saw her lose her strawweight throne after a bout that is being considered by many as the worst title fight in the history of the UFC.

During a recent interview, Namajunas expressed an interest in the matchup. She insisted that, while Zhang Weili is a "machine," fans need to give more respect to the reigning champ Carla Esparza.

"I think a lot of people are definitely sleeping on Carla. I think people are just gonna assume that Weili's gonna run her over and all this stuff, and rightfully so, Weili is obviously a machine and she's a beast... I'm definitely leaning more towards Weili at this point, but it's really hard for me to necessarily count Carla out... I hope that the fight isn't anything like my fight with Carla last time... I'm hoping for it to be an exciting fight."

Despite suffering back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas, Zhang Weili finds herself back in title contention after her spectacular highlight-reel spinning backfist knockout of Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 275 earlier this year.

'Cookie Monster' is currently enjoying her second championship reign in the 115lb division. This is her first time holding UFC gold since losing her crown back in 2015.

Check out what Rose Namajunas had to say about the upcoming women's title clash in the video below.

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What's next for Rose Namajunas?

The 30-year-old is taking a short hiatus from the sport but expects to make yet another title run when she returns to the octagon, but who will the former strawweight champion face?

Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Lemos will collide in the center of the cage in a heavy-hitting showdown this weekend, which is likely to be a #1 contender matchup. If Namajunas expects to return in the first quarter of 2023, the UFC could potentially match her up with one of the two Brazilian competitors.

A trilogy bout with Jessica Andrade, or a meeting with two more prospects in her weight-class could be in the cards. The dangerous Yan Xiaonan and the jiu-jitsu wizardry of Mackenzie Dern are waiting in the wings.