Rose Namajunas says she is cleared to fight again after an eye injury suffered in her recent bout. The former two-time strawweight champion is healed and ready to return to training.
Cleared to train after surgery
Namajunas, 33, revealed on Instagram that doctors have cleared her to compete three months after she was injured during a unanimous decision loss to Natalia Silva. She said she was still a bit out of shape but able to resume training.
In the Instagram post Namajunas wrote that her “thumb and eye are all fixed up.” She confirmed she underwent surgery to insert a silicone tube into the damaged eye and that her recovery is now complete.
What happened in the fight
The injury followed an eye-poke in the fight with Natalia Silva. The referee ruled the contest a unanimous decision in favor of Silva. Namajunas later needed surgery for the damage caused by the eye-poke.
Namajunas described the incident as serious and said she is grateful it was not worse. She has not given details such as the fight date, event name, or location in her public posts, focusing instead on her recovery and return.
Calls for rule changes
Namajunas used her recovery update to ask for tougher rules on eye-pokes. She proposed an instant purse deduction even if an eye-poke appears accidental. She argued that accidents that can harm a fighter’s long-term health should carry immediate, clear consequences.
Her exact proposal was short and direct: take eye-pokes more seriously and penalize them immediately to protect fighters’ health.
Recent results and move to flyweight
Since moving up to flyweight in 2023, Namajunas has a 3-3 run. Her wins at flyweight came against Amanda Lemos, Tracy Cortez and Miranda Maverick. Her losses at that weight include defeats to Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield and the most recent loss to Natalia Silva.
Namajunas is a former two-time strawweight champion who is now working to rebuild momentum at flyweight. She has said she is eager to return to training and competition as soon as she is fully back to fight shape.
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Rose Namajunas | Unanimous decision loss to Natalia Silva (required surgery for eye injury) |
| Natalia Silva | Unanimous decision win over Rose Namajunas |
| Amanda Lemos | Loss to Namajunas (Namajunas win) |
| Tracy Cortez | Loss to Namajunas (Namajunas win) |
| Miranda Maverick | Loss to Namajunas (Namajunas win) |
| Manon Fiorot | Win over Namajunas (Namajunas loss) |
| Erin Blanchfield | Win over Namajunas (Namajunas loss) |
UFCcoverage will follow Namajunas’ recovery and training. She has made clear she wants fighters protected from dangerous accidental fouls and that she plans to return to the Octagon once she regains full fight shape.
