Rose Namajunas has received medical clearance to return to training three months after suffering an eye injury at UFC 324 against Natalia Silva. The former UFC strawweight champion underwent surgery to repair the damage caused by an eye poke during that bout. Namajunas, who holds a 14-8 overall record and 12-7 UFC record, posted an update on social media calling for stricter penalties for eye pokes, suggesting fighters should be fined even for accidental infractions. She emphasized that such "accidents" can have serious long-term health consequences for fighters. Namajunas stated she is currently out of shape but grateful the injury was not worse.
Rose Namajunas has been medically cleared to resume training following eye surgery, roughly three months after suffering an eye poke injury during her UFC 324 bout against Natalia Silva.
Namajunas, 34, announced the update on social media, noting she is currently out of shape but relieved the damage was not more severe. The former UFC strawweight champion, known as "Thug," underwent surgery to repair the injury sustained during that contest and used her platform to call for stricter penalties surrounding eye pokes in MMA competition. She argued that even accidental infractions should carry financial consequences for fighters, pointing to the serious long-term health risks such incidents can pose. The American fighter, who trains out of 303 Training Center, carries a 15-8 record and holds the number six ranking in the women's flyweight division. She lands 3.5 significant strikes per minute at 41 percent accuracy and averages 1.47 takedowns per 15 minutes, demonstrating a well-rounded game built on both striking and wrestling.
Silva, the Brazilian southpaw ranked fifth in the division at 29 years old, holds a 20-5-1 professional record and trains out of Team Borracha. She is an aggressive striker, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy, and brings a physically relentless style into every fight.
Why it matters
- Namajunas has lost time from her career due to an injury caused by an in-cage incident rather than combat, raising legitimate questions about rule enforcement
- Her return to training keeps her path back to contention in the women's flyweight division alive, where she sits just one spot below Silva in the rankings
- Her public push for harsher eye poke penalties may add pressure on the UFC and athletic commissions to revisit how such fouls are adjudicated and penalized
