Rose Namajunas has undergone eye surgery and received medical clearance to return to training, three months after suffering an eye injury in her fight against Natalia Silva at UFC 324. The former UFC strawweight champion sustained the injury from an eye poke during the bout. Namajunas posted an update on social media Monday calling for stricter penalties for eye pokes, including immediate point deductions even for accidental infractions, citing the long-term health impact such injuries can have on fighters. She expressed gratitude that her injury wasn't worse and stated she is currently out of shape but ready to resume training.
Rose Namajunas has received medical clearance to return to training roughly three months after sustaining an eye injury during her bout against Natalia Silva at UFC 324, following surgery to address the damage.
Namajunas, 34, holds a professional record of 15-8 and currently sits sixth in the women's flyweight rankings. The American fighter, who trains out of 303 Training Center, is a former UFC strawweight champion and remains one of the division's most recognizable names. She lands 3.5 significant strikes per minute and averages 1.47 takedowns per 15 minutes, reflecting a well-rounded game. In a social media post this week, she acknowledged she is currently out of shape but expressed readiness to get back to work. She also used the platform to call for stricter officiating around eye pokes, arguing that point deductions should be applied immediately even when contact is accidental, given the serious long-term health consequences such fouls can cause.
Silva, the Brazilian southpaw she faced that night, carries a record of 20-5-1 and is ranked fifth at women's flyweight. The 29-year-old Team Borracha product is an aggressive output fighter, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy, making her one of the busier strikers in the division.
Why it matters
- Namajunas returns to the top half of a competitive flyweight rankings picture, sitting one spot behind Silva at number six
- Her advocacy for stricter eye-poke penalties adds a fighter-safety dimension to an ongoing officiating debate in the sport
- A stylistic rematch or a high-stakes divisional bout becomes more plausible now that she has surgical clearance and is resuming training
