UFC’s Rose Namajunas hopes for another title shot after Paige VanZant bout

While most eyeballs will be on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s popular Paige VanZant through her ring walk Thursday night, Rose Namajunas is hopeful she has all of the attention at the end of the bout.

“I don’t feel anything in terms of what people look at me like. I just focus on me,” said Namajunas, the UFC’s third-ranked female strawweight, who shaved her head before the fight.

Her match against VanZant (6-1) will take place Thursday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel on UFC Fight Pass, beginning at 7 p.m. Pacific time.

After fighting Oct. 3, Namajunas (3-2) was thrust into Thursday’s main event when the 21-year-old VanZant’s original opponent, Joanne Calderwood, suffered a training-camp knee injury. A victory for Namajunas will improve her position for a title shot, with reigning champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk expected to fight Brazil’s Claudia Gadelha next.

“You train all this time, [so] even though this was a short training camp, you train for this all your life,” Namajunas told The Times after weighing in Wednesday.

“I’m coming at her with all MMA. No particular game plan; just go off of my instincts, be patient and look for opportunities. No concerns with anything she does. I feel great; I’m ready to fight.”

Seventh-ranked VanZant emerged as a fan favorite and put on a pageantry-style display for her open workout at MGM Grand on Monday, which drew a large gathering. She has moved up the rankings quickly and will have her own title shot if she defeats Namajunas.

Namajunas will be trying to gain another shot at the title after losing in the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year to Carla Esparza, who eventually lost her belt to Jedrzejczyk.

“It was a learning experience. I’ve just grown so much since. It was exactly what I needed to get to this point right now,” Namajunas said.

Twitter: @alexsolano3676