The former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas made her flyweight debut at UFC Paris. After her disappointing loss to Carla Esparza at UFC 274, Namajunas took an extended break from the fight game to reflect on the result. However, she seemed ready to write a new chapter of her illustrious career and the first obstacle on her path was France’s very own Manon Fiorot.
Very early on in the fight, the commentary team of Michael Bisping and Paul Felder pointed out that the pinky finger of Rose’s right hand seemed to be displaced. Despite that, she soldiered on and stayed in the fight. But, it gave Manon a way to keep tagging the 31-year-old and left her marks on Namajunas’ face. Regardless, she managed to survive round 1, which led to her husband Pat Barry giving her some much-needed pep-talk.
Despite that, it was Fiorot who seemed more fluent in the early minutes of round 2. From knee to the body to some heavy shots to the head, the home fighter was clearly the better competitor throughout the round until an accidental headbutt opened her up badly. While she continued fighting without any hesitation, it provided Rose a chance to make a strong comeback in the fight.
Unanimous for @ManonFiorot_MMA! 👏
She takes your #UFCParis co-main over Rose Namajunas pic.twitter.com/8UQ0GQfZbw
— UFC (@ufc) September 2, 2023
Namajunas continued her momentum in round 3 and started very aggressively. She even started using her right hand which was injured in the first round itself. But it was a very balanced round by the end as Manon Fiorot was very nimble on her feet and managed to get the upper hand on Rose and finished the round very strong. The judges scored the fight 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 for Fiorot.
She is currently ranked third in the flyweight division and is currently on an 11-fight winning streak. With the champ Alexa Grasso defending her title against Valentina Shevchenko in two weeks’ time, it pretty much seems set in stone that Fiorot (11-1) will be the next challenger for the championship.
Pat Barry faces severe backlash after Rose Namajunas’ loss at UFC Paris
Pat Barry is a massive part of Rose Namajunas’ fight camps. Not only is he the guiding figure in her fight camps, the two are also married in real life. However, there have always been some question marks over their relationship due to the massive age difference. On top of that, Barry has always been trolled for his passionate speeches and cornerwork. Needless to say, it was no different after Rose’s fight at UFC Paris.
Rose Namajunas catches Manon Fiorot in Paris 👀🇫🇷
#UFCParis | Live on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/EPRHxyGZ82
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) September 2, 2023
Surprisingly, a lot of fans called for the couple to break up. One fan wrote, “Rose needs to get Pat Barry out of her corner and most importantly out of her life.” Another MMA fan added, “Rose should stay far far away from Pat Barry.” Another fan on X (formerly Twitter) also echoed the sentiment and added, “Rose baby. Get Pat out yo corner please.” However, some fans also think Namajunas may be past her prime and one of them wrote, “Rose washed.”
This marks Namajunas’ second loss in a row after UFC 274. While she holds a respectable 12-5 record, it will be interesting to see how she reacts to the nearly one-sided loss. So what are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments below.
