The UFC 201 co-main event was the Rose Namajunas show.
The 24-year-old has been one of the most intriguing fighters at 115 pounds since her flying armbar submission of Kathina Catron at Invicta FC 5 in 2013. In 2015, however, she established herself as one of the division's best by running through the competition on The Ultimate Fighter season 20. The UFC felt it had a star on its hands and gave her a massive push exiting the season, which lasted even after her loss to Carla Esparza in the finale.
Unlike so many other young fighters the UFC has hitched its wagon to, however, Namajunas has been able to maintain her success after the initial hubbub. She has cemented her place at the top of the division with wins over Angela Hill, Paige VanZant and Tecia Torres. It's easy to get excited about both her present and her future, and that has cast a shadow over nearly every opponent she has faced to date.
Enter Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
The Polish striker made her way into the UFC after a strong run in KSW and posted wins in her first two UFC fights. Despite being an unheralded contender, she owns a legitimate, formidable skill set and made sure to make the most of her time in the spotlight at UFC 201.
The first round featured very little output from either woman, but a great deal of tension as both women bounced through the cage in a way that made their athletic and technical skills clear. There was little in the way of damaging strikes outside the closing 30 seconds, which saw Kowalkiewicz land a series of knees with Namajunas scoring a takedown just before the horn.
The second round got off to a much faster start. Kowalkiewicz clearly liked the results of her clinch striking and started working Namajunas in close with knees and short elbows while Namajunas worked for trips and throws. They separated after a hard Kowalkiewicz knee, and both women landed shots at range from there.
By the third, Kowalkiewicz's body work-heavy clinch striking was taking its toll on Namajunas, who looked slower and less explosive. That resulted in a chase-heavy final frame with Kowalkiewicz pressing forward on a back-pedaling Namajunas. Kowalkiewicz would eventually land a takedown and used the opportunity to land steady, albeit less-than-damaging ground-and-pound.
While the majority of pundits scored the fight in Kowalkiewicz's favor, there was a fair bit of suspense when it came to the decision. The first round was fairly clearly Namajunas' because of her late takedown, and the third was decisively Kowalkiewicz's because of a long stretch of top position. The second, however, had some wondering if the judges would favor Namajunas' control of the center of the cage or Kowalkiewicz's greater output.
In the end, the score cards broke in favor of Kowalkiewicz to the tune of a 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 split decision.
The win is huge for Kowalkiewicz. Despite being regarded as a top-10 name all the way back to her days in Poland's KSW promotion, fans have largely overlooked Kowalkiewicz. An impressive win over a fairly big name in Namajunas should turn some heads.
Namajunas, on the other hand, walks away with yet another setback that feels more like a speed bump. Despite owning three losses from current top-10 fighters, the UFC has put no effort into promoting anyone in its strawweight division outside Namajunas, VanZant and its champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk. With wins over VanZant and Torres in her pocket, Namajunas remains just two or three wins away from a title shot.
Whether or not Kowalkiewicz will get her opportunity, however, is an open question.
While the fight was pegged as a top contender's bout, that likely hinged on a Namajunas win. With Kowalkiewicz lacking name value, there is a real chance she gets passed over for fan favorite and Great Scottish Hope Joanne Calderwood.
The immediate future is unsure for both women, but there is a great deal to look forward to in both the short-term, and the long term.
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