“I’m very honest with myself so I think the advantage I have in rematches is that I’m able to put my ego aside,” she said. “I know where I put it if I need it in a tough situation, but when I’m analyzing and gameplanning and things like that, I try to be as emotionless and objective as possible. I think that’s where I have the advantage. I’m trying to get to the truth of everything, and with fighting, that’s where I learn about myself the most and that’s what I love about it.”
UFC 268 FREE FIGHTS: Namajunas vs Zhang 1 | Gaethje vs Johnson | Zhang vs Jędrzejczyk | Chandler vs Hooker | Covington vs Woodley | Usman vs Covington 1
Namajunas’ fight against Zhang is also going to be her second in Madison Square Garden (the aforementioned upset of Jedrzejczyk being the first). It’s an arena prone to the spectacular and, combined with Namajunas’ own natural tendencies for the same, it’s a mixture almost certain to deliver exactly that. Although it’s usually a little difficult to build anticipation for a rematch between fighters whose first fight lasted less than 90 seconds, the mystery of what the two colliding forces will produce is still there.
Namajunas keeps her own anticipations close to the chest, but she does feel free to remind everyone what she reminded herself in the moments before the first fight – that she’s the best.
“I will say that I’m going to do my best,” she said. “If I am my best, then that’s really going to be a problem.”
Don’t miss a single strike of UFC 268: Usman vs Covington 2, live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on ESPN+ on November 6, 2021. Prelims begin at 6pm ET/3pm PT, main card starts at 10pm ET/7pm PT.