"Better dead than red" - Rose Namajunas claims Lithuanian struggle against communism motivates her for UFC 261 clash against Weili Zhang

Former UFC women's strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has revealed why beating current titleholder Weili Zhang at UFC 261 would mean more than a championship to her.

Rose’s “better dead than red” comments #UFC261 (https://t.co/1deEaDYGci) pic.twitter.com/eKWzv9UUIE

— Borrachinha Depot (@FullContactMTWF) April 11, 2021

Rose Namajunas said that she's "better dead than red" in an interview with Lithuanian media outlet LRT.lt. For context, the comment was a strong statement about Rose Namajuna's disapproval of Lithuania's dark past under a communist regime:

"I kinda want to educate my training partner Chico Camus on the Lithuanian struggle and like the history of it all. And we watched The Other Dream Team just to get the overall sentiment of what we fight for. After watching that, it was just a huge reminder of like, yeah it’s ‘better to dead than red.' I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Weili is red."

The Other Dream Team is a 2012 documentary about the Lithuanian national basketball team’s journey to a podium finish in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The film also provides context on the collapse of the Soviet Union and Lithuania's subsequent reestablishment of independence.

As a Lithuanian-American, Rose Namajunas revealed that whenever she fights, she represents the values that democratic societies uphold:

"I don’t hate Weili or anything like that. There’s nothing, you know, but I do feel as though I have a lot to fight for in this fight and what she represents."

On the other hand, current UFC women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang is a proud representative of her native China – a communist superpower. And while Rose Namajunas insists that she has nothing personal against Weili Zhang, she's definitely motivated to defeat her because of "what she represents":

“I fight for freedom and I’ve got the Christ consciousness, I’ve got Lithuanian blood and I’ve got the American dream, and all those things I’m taking into this fight,” Rose Namajunas declared.

When will Rose Namajunas fight Weili Zhang?

'Thug' Rose will get an opportunity to recapture the UFC women's strawweight crown in the co-main event of UFC 261 on April 25th. Namajunas made her way back into the title picture after avenging her loss to Jessica Andrade last year.

Reigning champion Weili Zhang, meanwhile, has shown nothing but dominance since making her UFC debut in 2018. More than that, Weili Zhang has been on an absolute tear, winning her last 21 professional MMA fights.