Rose Namajunas is ready for her next act, at flyweight, after her last

A common belief in mixed martial arts is that once a fighter has one foot out the door into retirement, it’s probably time for them to hang it up. One exception has been Rose Namajunas.

In some ways, Namajunas (11-5), who faces France’s Manon Fiorot at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Paris, has always had one foot out of MMA. She’s openly discussed the fears and self-doubt that have challenged her in this sport.

Four years ago, after a 2019 loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 239 in Brazil, Namajunas matter-of-factly said, “Maybe I’ll never do this again.”

Nevertheless, this weekend feels like an important crossroads for Namajunas, who is still very much in her prime at age 31. She has not fought since losing her 115-pound strawweight championship at UFC 274 to Carla Esparza via split decision in May 2022, in one of the strangest title fights in UFC history. Namajunas was extremely inactive and timid during the bout and has admitted she felt a complete lack of killer instinct that night.

“One of the most boring fights ever,” she said during UFC media day on Wednesday.

That alone is not a huge cause for concern because, again, it’s Namajunas. She has a unique relationship with fighting, which is actually part of her appeal. She’s emotional during camp and is known for crying during practice. Her ability to be vulnerable and embrace weakness almost seems to free up her ability to paint a masterpiece on fight night. Road bumps are part of Namajunas’ story.

“I might have things and challenges that I deal with, but it’s not anybody else’s business,” said Namajunas on receiving judgment on her performance against Esparza. “[Fans] are here to be inspired, to be entertained or to learn something. That’s my job as a martial artist. I did my job — but I definitely could’ve done a better job.”

But when discussing MMA,…