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No one came away impressed from the uneventful co-main event at UFC 274 between Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas, including key contender Jessica Andrade.
Andrade took to Twitter to rip into Esparza, who she dubbed the “Champion of Boredom” following her uneventful title scrap against Namajunas.
“I take advantage that you didn’t block me on Twitter,” Andrade tweeted. “I want to say that your fight yesterday was the worst in strawweight history, champion of boredom, I can’t wait to rip your head off. Congratulations on the boredom belt, but fans of this sport want to see a massacre, I’ll do!”
Andrade is never one for lack of action in her fights and recently pulled off the first standing arm-triangle choke finish in UFC history. She’s fought almost all of the top contenders but has never crossed paths with Esparza. In her mind, that makes the matchup even more compelling.
“The logic of the game is basic… I already fought with all the best of the division and champions… Joana, Rose, Welli… Only Carla is missing,” she wrote. “Now the other girls still haven’t fought with the former champions tops…fight them first, then take your chance.”
Esparza Thinks Namajunas Was Uncomfortable
The lack of action in the fight has been widely criticized, which Esparza said she understands. Esparza said that she felt Namajunas lost the fight with her inactiveness, fearing her takedown and wrestling ability.
“I definitely feel that she lost the fight to herself,” Esparza told The MMA Hour. “I think she went in there, and she fought, I don’t want to say with fear, but she was worried about the takedown and very focused on that and didn’t fight her game. [She] didn’t let off as much as she could have. I definitely feel it was a lot of a mental thing.
“She’s beat the best of the best,” she continued. “She’s fought high-level opponents, but she hasn’t fought a lot of wrestlers to get where she is. She hasn’t fought a lot of people like me, and I’ve fought a lot of people like her. I feel I was more comfortable fighting someone with her style, and she wasn’t as comfortable fighting someone my style.”
Namajunas Apologized to Supporters on Social Media
Namajunas has been hearing it from all angles since the scrap and broke her silence on the fight via Instagram on Monday.
“Sorry to everyone,” she wrote on Instagram. “I f–ked up. Definitely feel like a s–tty human being but this will make me a better [fighter]. Hats off to Carla and thanks to everyone who’s been there for me.”
Even UFC president Dana White didn’t know exactly what to say about what went down.
“It was a weird fight,” White said. “Seemed like they didn’t want to engage. I think they threw a total of six punches in the first round. It was a tough one. That happens sometimes.”
A big fight pitting Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang at UFC 275 will set the tone for the strawweight division. Perhaps Andrade can find a way to fit in as a top five contender.
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