Rose Namajunas weighs family plans before UFC return

Rose Namajunas plans to fight again but wants clarity on her motivation first.

The former strawweight champion told the "Weighing In" podcast that she has spent months evaluating her future after losing to Natalia Silva at UFC 324 in January and undergoing surgery to repair damage from an accidental eye poke. The 34-year-old said she is now thinking about starting a family and wants to make sure her next fight has real purpose.

Injuries delayed Namajunas training for three months

Namajunas described the recovery process as complicated. "After the fight, I had to get this surgery right away," she said, per Sherdog. "They put this weird silicone tube in my eye. I couldn't blow my nose. I couldn't rub my eye because it could pop out." She also tore the ulnar collateral ligament in her thumb during rehab and was only cleared to resume training in April.

The setbacks followed three consecutive losses in fights she was told would earn her a flyweight title shot with a win. She dropped decisions to Manon Fiorot, Erin Blanchfield, and Silva after moving up from strawweight in 2023. "I'm at a point in my life where I'm thinking about family stuff and all these things, and next steps, future things," Namajunas said. "I do want to compete and I still want to fight again, but I want to make sure that when I'm going in there, I'm going for a purpose and a reason."

Namajunas is 3-3 since joining the flyweight division and has not scheduled her next bout.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Rose Namajunas reveals the questions she must answer before UFC comeback