Any degenerate can tell you the surest way to analyze a fighter is to gamble on them, because nothing identifies holes in a fighter’s game quite like losing money. For that reason — and perhaps that reason alone — Rose Namajunas was the sharp’s choice on Saturday night for strawweight title defense against Jessica Andrade. On paper, she was the superior fighter. It was always her fight to lose. Yet Namajunas came into UFC 237’s main event as a slight underdog, a handicap created perhaps more of emotional matter than technical. She was heading to Brazil, where Andrade would have the partisan crowd, because she challenges herself by defying convention. If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that Namajunas doesn’t mind confounding her public. She’s motivated by karmic rhythms and the pull of The Greater Good, sideline properties that — as a champion — can be filed away in the sport’s mind as “new wrinkles.” And besides, she wanted to depressurize the situation in her own unique way — to put it all on Andrade to perform, and leave herself with the most simplified task possible: That is, to get in, kick ass, get out. She wanted to momentarily take the weight off the title as she carried it back to Colorado, or leave the damn thing there for good. Through the first round-and-a-half Saturday night, she was putting on a clinic. She was snapping the jab off of Andrade’s face, and every time Andrade would wince in anticipation of that she would punctuate with straight right hands. Everything was landing crisply and intently, the kind of striking display that, through spectator astonishment, quickly becomes art. Andrade began bleeding immediately. The commentators, Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik, were warning that Andrade couldn’t withstand that kind of abuse for five rounds. She wouldn’t even make it through a couple of rounds at the rate she was absorbing Namajunas’s strikes. Even as Andrade picked Namajunas up and hoisted her to the heavens for a slam, Namajunas was fishing for the Kimura from the broadside of her shoulders. When Andrade followed through with that slam a couple of sequences later, she was fending off an armbar attempt once they hit the ground, proving all routes to victory were pretty much shut down or closed. Everywhere Namajunas was presenting crises for the challenger. “Thug” Rose an underdog? It was like the old cliché: Taking candy from a baby. Then it happened. Midway through the second round, Andrade heaved Namajunas up yet again, and this time slammed her headfirst into the canvas. Namajunas didn’t bounce back up. Namajunas didn’t really move at all. She was out. Next thing you know Andrade was sitting on top of the fence, basking in the hysteria of her masses, signaling for a belt around her waist. All fortunes can change just that fast in the fight game. And what gives gambling its libido is that it commonly does; nothing burns a deposit slip quicker than a flash knockout. Afterwards, in her post-fight interviews, Namajunas validated some of the instinctual reservations people had about the fight. Namely that she was already contemplating the exits from the fight game, because the weight of the title was a little overwhelming. “It’s just a huge pressure, you always got to obsess about everything,” she told TSN. “I think what it is, is prior to becoming a champ you put a lot of importance on getting the belt and all that stuff. It is important, but it’s only kind of financially important. Really, at the end of the day, it’s all about facing your fears, and to me, I realized once I’ve become a champ and defending the belt, having the belt itself is. “It’s cool, but it doesn’t mean as much as I think people put meaning on it. It’s just a materialistic thing that ends up controlling your life, and really, it’s like…I went out there and had fun and I challenged myself. I have some many other things to look forward to. It’s just a part of me and it’s an accomplishment. Maybe I’ll get it again, maybe I won’t. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll never do this again. We’ll see.” Not exactly the fodder for a rematch. And not exactly the mindset of hungry fighter. A couple of weeks back Rory MacDonald had a similar revelation after fighting Jon Fitch to a majority draw in the welterweight grand prix. He said he’d have to reassess the situation to see if he still had it in him to keep fighting. Within 48 hours, he determined that he did. But in those 48 hours fans were left to marinate in his confession, to contemplate the hard reality that some fighters just lose their stomach for it. The 26-year-old Namajunas, who has contended all along that there is a happy life outside of fighting waiting on her once she’s financially solvent, was just confirming the fight game’s intuition. There’s more to her. Everybody who’s watched her knows that. As a young fighter, she may find it in herself to want to keep going, and that wouldn’t be surprising. Nor would it be surprising if she faces Andrade again down the line, and exacts some revenge. She was winning the fight handily up until the moment she lost, therefore giving a rematch more than enough justification to happen. Will it? It’s up to Namajunas to figure out, but if you heard how deeply she exhaled after lugging that title around for the last year, I wouldn’t bet on it.<doc-sep>Well, UFC 237 sure ended with a bang after a bunch of disappointing bouts before that. Rose Namajunas looked absolutely excellent for a round and a half against Jessica Andrade, punishing her with great striking and almost finishing her with an armbar. Jessica Andrade’s power and aggressiveness was being used against her to great effect. Until it wasn’t. Andrade scooped Namajunas up against the cage. Namajunas was trying to use a kimura to prevent being slammed. But she held onto it too long, and instead of rotating over when she was being dropped on the mat, she tucked in a little bit. She basically got powerbombed - folded up like an accordion. And Thug Rose was immediately unconscious. Jessica Andrade saved the card for Brazil, and she’s the new strawweight champion of the world.<doc-sep>
With Joanna Jedrzejczyk finally in her rear-view mirror, women’s Strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas, embarked on a new challenge tonight (Sat., May 11, 2019) in the form of No. 1-ranked contender, Jessica Andrade, in the main event of UFC 237, which took place inside Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And what started off well for “Thug Rose,” ended in a brutal instant. Namajunas — the underdog heading into the bout — showed no fear of the power-punching Brazilian, unleashing jabs and combinations early, bloodying the face of Andrade. Having enough, Andrade bum rushed her, mashed her up against the fence and angled for a big slam; however, Namajunas had her arm locked up in a kimura. Andrade eventually dumped her to the canvas, but Namajunas locked up an armbar, which Andrade was able to escape. On the restart, Namajunas drilled Andrade with a hard knee in the clinch, sending her flying across the Octagon. Namajunas went in for the kill, but Andrade was able to get back to her feet and the two returned to the center of the Octagon to trade shots. It was a fantastic first round for the champion. Namajunas continued to put on a boxing clinic to start the second round, while Andrade barreled her way into range, hoping to land a hellacious haymaker. Namajunas was just too technical, slipping and ducking her way to safety. Eventually, Andrade was able to pin Namajunas up against the fence and angled for another slam. Namajunas once again locked in the kimura as a defense, but this time Andrade was able to lift her up and slam “Thug Rose” onto her head. The minute Namajunas hit the canvas she was out cold. Andrade landed a few more shots at the end, but the damage was already done. Wow — that was impressive! Andrade — who was getting pieced up the entire fight — used sheer strength and power to win a world title ... in devastating fashion. And new! For complete UFC 237: “Namajunas vs. Andrade” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.