Some wins are just more dramatic than others. And Jessica Andrade’s win over Rose Namajunas at UFC 237 was far more dramatic than most.
Namajunas entered the fight as the women’s strawweight champion. However, she would leave the fight without her belt and likely without a fair amount of range of motion in her neck as well, after Namajunas ended her title reign with one of the most fearsome slams you’ll ever see.
The moment came at the 2:34 mark of the second round.
“I was very certain what I had to do in the second round,” Andrade said. “I’ve never done that move before in the UFC.”
According to USA Today Sports:
Namajunas, who had not fought since defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk 13 months ago at UFC 223, showed no ring rust as she pieced up Andrade in the opening round. Her jab was sharp, her footwork magnificent, her use of range nonpareil.
Andrade’s best moments in the first round came when she closed the distance and fired shots, and that was a foreshadowing of the second. Andrade’s flurries didn’t always connect, but they became noticeably more successful as the round progressed.
A slam attempt earlier nearly ended in Andrade getting submitted on the ground, but there was no doubt about the second attempt, as Namajunas landed in a matter that made it appear she was lucky she didn’t suffer a broken neck.
Namajunas had a three-fight win streak snapped as she suffered her second career knockout loss.
Namajunas seemed non-committal about her future in the UFC after the fight:
The win not only gives Andrade a championship, but also the most wins all-time for a female fighter in the UFC.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn