Former UFC champion Rose Namajunas has had a controversial relationship with her coach Pat Barry. The MMA community has taken notice and was even called out by Sean Strickland. Ahead of her fight this weekend, let’s take a look at this.
Age Issues: Rose Namajunas and Pat Barry
Rose Namajunas, a 32-year-old two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion, is engaged to Pat Barry, a 45-year-old former UFC heavyweight fighter. Their relationship has been a source of controversy in the MMA community due to their 13-year age gap and the fact that they allegedly met when Namajunas was only 14 or 15 years old.
The controversy has been fueled by accusations of grooming, with UFC middleweight challenger Sean Strickland being particularly vocal in his criticism. According to fellow fighter Chris Curtis, Strickland confronted Namajunas and Barry about their relationship during a bus ride to a UFC event. Curtis recounted that Strickland persistently questioned the couple about Namajunas’ age when they first met, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone on the bus.
‘Action Man’ Chris Curtis explained:
“It was my debut fight, we were on the bus and Rose and Pat are there. And Sean just immediately starts going in and it just doesn’t stop. And we’re on the way to the venue and I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m in my own head, they are in their own head.’ She lost that fight and that’s the one they blamed you for, right?… In all fairness I’m with Rose on this one. We are on our way to the f***ing thing and Sean is like, ‘So how old was she?’”
In response to the controversy, Pat Barry has attempted to clarify the situation. In an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Barry explained that there had been a misunderstanding about when he and Rose Namajunas actually met. He stated that Namajunas had initially joined Roufusport gym at age 14, left for a few years, and then returned to pursue her MMA career. Barry and Namajunas began dating when she was 18 and him 31.
According to Pat Barry:
“This whole Sean Strickland thing that is all over the place everywhere. Years ago, Rose did an interview and said ‘I joined Rufussport when I was 14 years ago, and then I left Rufussport for a few years. Then I came back to Rufussport, to pursue my MMA career, and that’s where I met my fiancee Pat Barry.’ When the guy wrote the interview up, he wrote ‘Rose Namajunas joined Rufussport when she was 14 years old where she met her fiance Pat Barry, when she was 14 years old.’”
Mutual friend Matt Mitrione attempted to explain it was okay as they met earlier but didn’t begin dating until she was 18, which matches accusations, from Sean Strickland, of grooming.