Rose Namajunas (8-3) will end a year-long hiatus on May 11th 2019, as she heads into hostile territory to take on number one contender Jessica Andrade (19-6) in her home country of Brazil at UFC 237.
The details of the event are still to be decided with no venue or location set and no other fights announced for the card. UFC president Dana White told ESPN that the bout would likely serve as the co-main event of the card.
Namajunas last competed at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, where she beat former Strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk for the second time, outpointing her opponent over five hard-fought rounds.
The events prior to the fight perhaps explain the long lay off of the champion as she was front and centre as Conor Mcgregor and team attacked the bus she was travelling on. So traumatized by the incident Namajunas contemplated pulling out of her UFC 223 bout. Five months removed from the event, coach Trevor Whitman told Ariel Helwani she remains traumatized. “She doesn’t leave her house.”
A year on from UFC 223 Rose Namajunas appears ready to fight and will look to continue to build upon an impressive 3-fight win streak, all of which she has looked phenomenal in.
At the age of 26, she already holds one of the best resumes in WMMA with high profile wins over the former champ being accompanied by names such as Michelle Waterson, Tecia Torres, Paige VanZant and Angela Hill. UFC 237 presents a massive opportunity to cement her status as champ and look to emulate the impressive reign of Jędrzejczyk.
She faces Jessica Andrade, who is on a 3-fight win streak of her own. After falling short in her only previous title challenge against Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2017 she has spectacularly bounced back picking up high profile wins against top contenders.
She fought a fight of the night with Cláudia Gadelha, before outpointing Tecia Torres and then brutally knocked out Karolina Kowalkiewicz to earn performance of the night, a $50,000 bonus and a second shot at the 115 strap.
A truly deserving number one contender who’s 6-1 run at Strawweight has been ultra impressive. Can she dethrone Thug Rose?
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