No regrets: Rose Namajunas says comments on communism, Zhang Weili ‘based on my experiences’

Rose Namajunas stands by her remarks about communism being a motivating factor for her ahead of UFC 261.

Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who challenges strawweight champion Zhang Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) on April 24, made some controversial remarks that caused an uproar this past weekend. In an interview with Lithuanian National Radio and Television, Namajunas – who’s Lithuanian-American – used the phrase “better dead than red,” an anti-communist slogan that originated during the Cold War in the 1950s. Namajunas referred to Weili as “red,” meaning communist, in describing what Weili represents to her because she’s from China.

During an interview with ESPN, Namajunas didn’t backtrack. She further explained what she meant by those comments and the inspiration she drew from “The Other Dream Team” documentary, which highlights the struggle that the 1992 Lithuania men’s national basketball team endured under the Soviet rule.

“My opinions are based on my experiences,” Namajunas said on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.” “It’s not something I looked up on YouTube. This is an actual reference to a documentary. If you’re confused about any of my opinions, you can watch the documentary, and you could get a good idea as to what my family had to go through, the reason I’m in the United States today, the reason that I do mixed martial arts, all of that stuff.

“I’d probably have a really different life if it wasn’t for just everything in that documentary, how Lithuanians had to struggle with communism oppression. The reason that I brought it up and that I referenced it is because the reporter suggested that I had animosity towards past opponents, and that’s what maybe caused some motivation in those fights and that this one there’s no animosity, so maybe there’s a lack of motivation, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. No. 1, I don’t have any animosity toward anybody. Obviously I’m not perfect, I’m a sinner, I definitely have emotions. But when I’m fighting, there’s no emotions toward that person. It’s just an outward manifestation of my inner-demons that I have to deal with every day. … This is not directed at Weili as a person.”

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Namajunas’ parents were Lithuanian immigrants who moved to the U.S. after living under communist rule in the Soviet Union. Her great grandfather was an Independent Lithuania military officer killed by the Soviets near his home. That family background is why Namajunas is fueled by politics heading into her championship fight.

“I’m motivated for this fight more than ever,” Namajunas said. “This is my history. This is where I come from, and these are the demons that I have to face every day. That’s just how I feel about it and if there’s any confusion about it, watch the documentary. I really encourage people to do that. It’s something that I’m very thankful for because going through all that and knowing all of the history and stuff, it reminds me why freedom is so important.”

Namajunas insists that she has no animosity toward Weili or anyone. When asked about Weili’s comments saying that she hopes they can be friends, Namajunas said she’d be open to it.

“I love Weili,” Namajunas said. “I don’t know her. I know she wants to be friends and all that stuff, and it would be great to get to know her, if we could, if it’s possible.”