Rose Namajunas

In November 2017, at Madison Square Garden, Rose Namajunas knocked out Joanna Jędrzejczyk in the first round to win the UFC strawweight championship. Jędrzejczyk had been dominant and had spent the buildup to the fight trying to intimidate her. Namajunas, calm and smiling, said afterward that she had been fighting for something bigger than a belt, and her post-fight speech about using her platform for good became almost as famous as the knockout.

She was born on June 29, 1992, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Lithuanian immigrant parents. She has never shared the hour of her birth, so astrologers cannot place her Ascendant, but her planets describe her closely. Her Sun is in Cancer, with Venus also in Cancer. Cancer is sensitive, private and protective, a sign that feels deeply and guards its inner world. That might seem an odd fit for a fighter, but Namajunas is known for her soft-spoken manner and openness about emotional struggles, which contrast sharply with her ferocity in the cage.

Her childhood was difficult. Her father lived with schizophrenia, and she has spoken publicly about being sexually abused as a child. She has said that martial arts, which she started as a young girl, gave her a way to feel strong and safe.

Mars in Taurus brings power, endurance and stubborn determination. Taurus Mars is steady rather than explosive, but once it commits, it does not stop. Namajunas trained in taekwondo, karate and kickboxing before moving into mixed martial arts, and her nickname, "Thug Rose," was given to her as a teenager.

Jupiter in Virgo describes success through technical precision. Virgo is analytical and detail-focused, and Namajunas is admired for her technical striking, footwork and movement.

Saturn in Aquarius, retrograde, describes hard lessons around independence and setbacks that must be overcome. She lost her title to Jéssica Andrade in 2019, when Andrade slammed her to the canvas, and won it back in April 2021 with a head-kick knockout of Zhang Weili. She lost it again to Carla Esparza in 2022 and later moved up to the flyweight division.

Uranus and Neptune in Capricorn, and Pluto in Scorpio, belong to her generation but suit a fighter who has spoken about faith, healing and transformation. Her longtime partner and coach is the former UFC heavyweight Pat Barry.

The Cancer Sun gave her a tender heart; the Taurus Mars gave her the strength to protect it.

Survivors of sexual abuse in the United States can reach RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.