Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas revealed that her right pinkie finger, injured during her UFC Paris fight against Manon Fiorot, still hasn’t fully healed. Namajunas believes the injury occurred in first minute of fight, resulting in a slightly crooked finger even four months later.
“I went through a sprint-step right hand,” she explained. “But my glove was a little wide. My hand probably was a little loose, too, and my pinky just caught right on her forearm. It just jammed my pinky, and I knew instantly something was wrong.”
Despite the injury, Rose Namajunas fought through the pain, switching to a southpaw stance and finding her rhythm, even dropping Fiorot in the third round. Judges ultimately scored the bout in Fiorot’s favor.
Namajunas, undeterred by the injury, is scheduled to headline a March 30 Fight Night event against Amanda Ribas. She opted against surgery, as the only benefit would be straightening the finger slightly, with the potential drawback of limiting her ability to make a fist.
“As long as I can make a fist, grab with strength, the doctor assured it’s nothing to strengthen further.” So it’s just like, you just got a little crooked finger. But it’s all good, which is what I thought in the first place.”
Namajunas acknowledged that she’s cautious with the injury to avoid making it worse but does not anticipate any long-term effects on her career. She remains focused on her goal of capturing the flyweight title.
“I mean, it’s a little stiff sometimes,” she said. “When I first started back to sparring and whatnot with the MMA gloves. It was definitely something that I was thinking about, making sure I’m placing my hand in the right spot, not hitting elbows or anything. But at this point, I don’t even think about it.”
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