Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has undergone eye surgery and received medical clearance to resume training. Namajunas suffered an eye injury from an eye poke during her fight with Natalia Silva at UFC 324 three months ago. She posted an update on social media calling for stricter penalties for eye pokes, suggesting fighters should be penalized immediately even if the foul is accidental. Namajunas emphasized that such injuries can have long-term health consequences for fighters. She expressed gratitude that her injury was not worse and is now medically cleared, though she acknowledges being somewhat out of shape.
Rose Namajunas has undergone eye surgery and received medical clearance to return to training, roughly three months after suffering an eye injury from an accidental poke during her fight against Natalia Silva at UFC 324. The former strawweight champion shared the update on social media, expressing relief that the damage was not more severe while also calling for stricter in-fight penalties for eye pokes, arguing that fighters should be penalized immediately regardless of intent given the potential for long-term health consequences.
Namajunas, known as "Thug," is 34 years old and competes out of 303 Training Center. The American fighter carries a 15-8 record and is currently ranked sixth in the women's flyweight division. Standing five-foot-five with a 65-inch reach, she brings a well-rounded game to the octagon, averaging 1.47 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 0.3 submission attempts per 15 minutes — numbers that reflect her consistent grappling presence even as she has developed as a striker.
Silva, the opponent whose blow caused the injury, is a 29-year-old Brazilian southpaw ranked fifth at women's flyweight with a record of 20-5-1. Fighting out of Team Borracha, she stands five-foot-four with a 65-inch reach and is one of the division's more active strikers, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Namajunas acknowledged being somewhat out of shape following the recovery period, meaning a return fight remains some way off.
- Her call for automatic penalties on eye pokes — accidental or not — adds her voice to a long-standing rules debate within the sport.
- Both fighters sit inside the top six at women's flyweight, so the timing of Namajunas's return will carry genuine divisional implications.
