Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping shares his thoughts on Jessica Andrade’s slam knockout win at UFC 237 this past weekend.
Jessica Andrade’s slam knockout win over Rose Namajunas to become the new UFC strawweight champion is not something that’s seen every fight. While Andrade’s finish was deemed legal by respected figures of the sport, piledrivers are generally considered fouls by the 2017 Unified Rules of MMA.
But for observers like former UFC champion Michael Bisping, luck may have played a part in Andrade’s victory.
“I shouldn’t say this ‘cause it’s doing a disservice to Jessica Andrade and maybe even being disrespectful, which I’m not trying to do. It was kind of a fluke,” Bisping said during a recent episode of his Believe You Me podcast (transcript via TheScore.com).
“That doesn’t happen. (Andrade has) done that move a lot. Generally, people don’t land on the head and get knocked out.”
Bisping also believes “Thug Rose” will be able to win in a possible rematch, given how she was performing early on before the slam happened.
“That’s not to say in a rematch she couldn’t win, but I’d definitely favor Rose in the rematch after what I saw in that first round and a half,” he said. “That said, as I said that does come off a little bit disrespectful. That’s not my intention.”
Namajunas, however, doesn’t seem keen on going after the title, and is even contemplating on retiring from the sport at the age of 26.