Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will spend the next three months with tubes in her eye and nose following a painful injury sustained at UFC 324.
Namajunas returned to the Octagon last weekend for the first time since June, stepping in on short notice to replace the injured Alexa Grasso. “Thug” Rose faced surging Brazilian contender Natalia Silva, who entered the bout determined to secure her long-awaited shot at the UFC flyweight title.
After a tightly contested three-round fight, officials awarded Silva a controversial unanimous decision, officially putting her next in line to challenge Valentina Shevchenko. For Namajunas, however, the night proved costly beyond the scorecards.
Namajunas became the latest fighter impacted by the sport’s ongoing eye-poke problem. Although the referee never stopped the fight for an eye poke, Namajunas later realized Silva had caught her in the eye multiple times during the bout. The damage turned out to be serious enough that the 33-year-old underwent eye surgery on Tuesday.
According to her husband and longtime coach, Pat Barry, Namajunas suffered a canalicular laceration in her left eye caused by repeated illegal eye pokes. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former champion expressed both frustration and disbelief over the situation.
“I’m doing good. I’m very frustrated, though. I’m not going to lie,” Namajunas said. “I’m upset because I got poked in the eye in the second round, couldn’t see after that, and now I’m seeing pictures that it was multiple times.”
Namajunas admitted she stayed locked in on the fight instead of alerting the referee.
“I was just so locked in that I didn’t realize. I wish I would’ve protested, but I was focused on taking her head off,” she explained. “I’ve never poked anyone in the eye, so I feel like a point should be taken right away. That would make people more cautious and more considerate of their opponent.”
She later revealed the full extent of her recovery process.
“This is crazy,” Namajunas continued. “I have a tube in my eye and in my nose for three months, and I can’t blow my nose for three months. It’s going to be tough.”
Namajunas also shared an update with fans ahead of surgery in an Instagram post, asking for support.
“Alright, guys. I’m headed into surgery, canalicular tube eye surgery,” Namajunas said. “I got poked in the eye a few times, my tube is torn, and it’s going to be repaired. I might have a silicone tube in my eye for three months, so pray for me. I’m just glad we can get it fixed.”
The loss marks Namajunas’ second defeat in her last four fights and pushes her further down the flyweight rankings. With recovery now the priority, her next move inside the Octagon will depend heavily on how well she heals.
For Namajunas, UFC 324 delivered more than a narrow decision loss, it served as a harsh reminder of how quickly fights can change and how dangerous unchecked fouls can be at the highest level of MMA.
