Valentina Shevchenko is supportive of her teammate Rose Namajunas following a knockout loss.
Namajunas defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight title against Jessica Andrade in the main event of UFC 237. Namajunas’ striking was crisp in the opening frame, but it didn’t matter in the end. Andrade slammed Namajunas in the second stanza, causing “Thug” Rose’s head to bounce off the mat and she was out cold.
Shevchenko Hopes Namajunas Fully Heals Before Returning
Shevchenko spoke to theScoreMMA and she reacted to Namajunas’ first knockout loss as a pro (via LowKickMMA.com):
“I did watch the fight. It was a crazy fight. Jessica was so focused on the victory. Of course, it [the slam knockout] was something you cannot expect but you know, I want to congratulate Jessica. Of course, I want to reach to Rose to be strong, to come back, but first of all, to be healthy. This is the number one thing important for all martial arts. If you are healthy mentally, physically, you can go far as you can go. This is what I want for Rose — to be healthy.”
Shevchenko is the UFC women’s flyweight title holder. She’s set to defend her gold against Jessica Eye at UFC 238 on June 8.
