UFC 237: Andrade vs. Namajunas

By Alex AFM
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Updated: May 20, 2019

Published by: Alex “AFM” Minor

Jessica Andrade is crowned the UFC Strawweight champion of the world.

Saturday, May 11, 2019, the Brazilian city of Rio De Janeiro hosted a stacked UFC, pay-per-view event touting several UFC legends and buzzing top contenders. At the top of this massive card, the strawweight strap was on the line as ferocious, powerhouse, Jessica Andrade, challenged the reigning strawweight queen, Rose Namajunas.

The first round of the fight was very dominant for the champ as she constantly utilized beautiful footwork and angles to tag Andrade with jabs, straights, and lead hooks whilst Andrade attempted to blitz Namajunas with big, looping hooks. Andrade did manage to land a few leg kicks, but not many punches, whilst Rose also managed to land a couple of takedowns and nearly sinched an armbar to counter a high-crotch slam from Andrade.

In the second round, Namajunas continued to pick Andrade apart utilizing high level footwork and quick combinations. Nevertheless, Andrade continued to push forward like a ram intent on obtaining dominance. Halfway into the round, Andrade managed to grab up a high-crotch on Namajunas once more. Namajunas countered the hold with a kimura attempt as she did in the first round. However, Andrade made an adjustment during Rose’s elevation that would prove to be the champ’s demise. Upon switching grips to a more advantageous position, Andrade slammed Rose into the mat, spiking the champion on her head in the process. As Namajunas laid motionless in turtle position, Andrade managed to land a few ground strikes before the referee stepped in to call the match.

Jessica Andrade had overcome considerable adversity and defeated the reigning champion to become only the third Brazilian Women’s champion in UFC history alongside Cyborg and Amanda Nunes. Given the nature of the finish, Andrade’s win was considered somewhat controversial at first. After all, “Spiking” is strictly prohibited under the official UFC rules due to the move’s potential to seriously cripple and/or kill an opponent. However, the fact that Andrade’s kimura hold was the main reason for the resulting spike, Andrade’s finish was deemed legal. However, due to the fact that Namajunas pretty much caused her own finish, and the fact that she was dominating Andrade for most of the fight, there are many who believe that there should be an immediate rematch. After all, it seems as though Rose might still be the champion if she hadn’t made that one fatal mistake.

Although, this rematch comes about is not only dependent on the UFC, but also dependent on Namajunas, who claimed to be happy to lose the belt that placed so much “pressure” on her shoulders. Namajunas has also since claimed that she is no longer enjoying the process like she did before, and is considering retirement. All things considered, it seems that it may be a while before we see “Thug Rose” back in the octagon, if at all. Regardless, whomever we get to see challenge Andrade next is likely to garner a lot of attention, for she is an exciting fighter and a newly minted champ. Many believe that former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk might get the next shot seeing as she’s the last person to defeat the Brazilian powerhouse. Michell Waterson is also a highly viable candidate, coming off of a 3-fight winning streak over several top contenders. Only time will tell how the Strawweight division ultimately shakes out.

Official Results