Rose Namajunas has successfully undergone eye surgery and received medical clearance to resume training three months after suffering an eye injury. The former UFC strawweight champion sustained the injury from an eye poke during her fight with Natalia Silva at UFC 324. Namajunas, who holds a 14-8 overall record and 12-7 UFC record, posted a health update on social media calling for stricter penalties for eye pokes, suggesting fighters should be fined even for accidental infractions. She expressed gratitude that the injury was not more severe and stated she is now healthy but slightly out of fighting shape.
Rose Namajunas has successfully undergone eye surgery and received medical clearance to return to training, roughly three months after suffering an eye injury during her bout with Natalia Silva at UFC 324.
Namajunas, known as "Thug," is a 34-year-old former UFC strawweight champion from the United States who now competes at women's flyweight. She currently holds a 15-8 record and is ranked sixth in her division. Training out of 303 Training Center, Namajunas is a well-rounded competitor who averages 3.5 significant strikes per minute with a 41 percent striking accuracy, and she supplements her stand-up with active takedown attempts at 1.47 per 15 minutes.
The injury occurred when she was on the receiving end of an eye poke from her opponent during the UFC 324 contest. Namajunas addressed the situation on social media, expressing relief that the damage was not more serious while calling for stricter penalties surrounding eye pokes. She suggested that fighters should be subject to fines even for accidental infractions of that nature. She also noted that while she has been cleared to train, she considers herself slightly out of fighting shape.
Her opponent in that fight, Natalia Silva, is a 29-year-old southpaw from Brazil ranked fifth in the women's flyweight division with a 20-5-1 record. Fighting out of Team Borracha, Silva is an active striker who lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Namajunas is now medically cleared, placing a potential return bout back on the table for one of flyweight's most recognizable names
- Her call for stricter eye-poke penalties adds to an ongoing conversation about fighter safety and rule enforcement in the UFC
- At ranked sixth, a return fight against top-five competition could quickly reshape the women's flyweight title picture
