Jessica Andrade knocked out Rose Namajunas in shocking fashion to claim the strawweight crown at UFC 237.
Fighting in front of a partisan home crowd in Rio, the Brazilian weathered an early storm to end the night with a devastating slam that took Namajunas’ consciousness, and crown.
The American had dominated to that point, using her height advantage to pick off the smaller Andrade at will.
Thug Rose was slick in both movement and striking, opening up her opponent within the first two minutes with sharp, crisp strikes to the left eye area.
For seven minutes, it was a masterclass.
Then Andrade struck. Working in the clinch, close to the fence, she lifted her foe to shoulder level before unleashing a blood-curdling slam that bounced the champion’s head off the canvas. The follow-up shots were immaterial.
Andrade moves to 20-6, while Namajunas slips to 8-4.
Elsewhere on the card, it was not a night for legends, as Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Jose Aldo all fell to defeats.
