In what was one of the more stunning finishes to a UFC championship match in recent memory, Rose Namajunas lost her women’s strawweight title to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 on Saturday after being knocked out from being violently slammed directly on her head by the challenger. Now, it appears the possibility exists of that finish being the lasting image of “Thug Rose” competing in the Octagon.
Immediately following the loss, in her post-fight interview inside the cage, Namajunas raised some eyebrows by revealing she was actually pleased that an enormous amount of pressure was lifted from her shoulders now that she’s no longer the reigning 115-pound champion. Backstage afterwards in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, Namajunas not only pondered whether she’ll ever hold the championship again but she also hinted that retirement could be in the cards as well.
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“It’s just a materialistic thing that ends up controlling your life, and really, it’s like … I went out there and had fun and I challenged myself,” Namajunas said. “I have so many other things to look forward to. It’s just a part of me and it’s an accomplishment. Maybe I’ll get it again, maybe I won’t. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll never do this again. We’ll see.”
Namajunas dominated the first round of the fight by marking up Andrade with precision strikes, and even looked impressive for a portion of the second round before Andrade was able to capitalize at the perfect moment to claim her first UFC championship. It’s for those reasons that many initially believed an immediate rematch could be in the cards, and running it back would be more than welcome for any fan who watched Namajunas dismantle Andrade within those first five minutes.
But for the time being, before we even entertain the idea of seeing these two battle again, the dust needs to settle a bit more as Namajunas decides whether she even wants to continue with her fighting career.
