UFC star Rose Namajunas powers through BRUTAL eye and nose wounds for victory on Fight Island

Rose Namajunas may have looked like the losing fighter after her UFC 251 clash with Jessica Andrade but it was the American’s hand that was raised on Saturday night. 

Namajunas’ conducted her post-fight interviews on Fight Island in the UAE seemingly unbothered by the brutal gouges on her nose, while the 28-year-old’s puffy, black and blue eye remained clamped shut.

She will count the injuries as worthwhile necessities though, having dominated the opening two rounds before Andrade’s offensive in the third left Namajunas bloodied and bruised in the bout voted Match of the Night. 

Rose Namajunas was badly beaten-up in her UFC 251 revenge victory over Jessica Andrade 

Namajunas’ win came 14 months after defeat to the Brazilian, and she’d been out the ring since

The 28-year-old American could no have earned a title shot against champion Weili Zhang

The former strawweight champion was handed a 29-28 victory on two judges scorecards, sealing revenge after losing to the Brazilian by second round knockout 14 months ago. 

‘I was just in the right state of mind,’ Namajunas said. ‘That’s everything. Early on in the fight, I was doing great. 

‘Then I think she hit the desperation button and started really unloading. She caught me a couple of times, but I just stayed strong.’ 

The brutal injuries brought back memories of the Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang’s March fight

Namajunas was able to conduct her post-fight interviews barely noticing the gouges 

Namajunas’ injuries brought back memories of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and the division’s champion Zhang Weili’s bout in March, when both fighters were left severely disfigured after a slug-fest which had even hardened MMA fans wincing. 

Namajunas’ win sets her up for a shot at winning the title back with a potential fight with Weili, but will first have to recover from her gruesome wounds.