Pat Barry, a former UFC heavyweight contender, has claimed that recent comments made by outspoken middleweight contender, Sean Strickland regarding Barry’s relationship with his partner, former two-time strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas – may have led to an emotional performance against Carla Esparza at UFC 274.
Co-headlining UFC 274 last weekend, Namajunas suffered a split decision loss to inaugural strawweight queen, Esparza, suffering her second career defeat to the Torrance native as she became a two-time division champion.
Following the more than forgettable rematch showdown, Namajunas, as well as he corner consisting of leads, Trevor Wittman, and the aforenoted, Barry received criticism for their less than active gameplan, resulting in her split decision loss.
Pat Barry and co were criticized for informing Rose Namajunas that she was likely winning at UFC 274
Namajunas maintained that she should have left Phoenix, Arizona with her championship in tow, claiming that she had employed a defensive gameplan which mitigated any real offensive work from challenger, Esparza.
Commenting on his fiancé’s defeat, Barry, who most recently competed in the UFC back in December 2013, attempted to set the story straight on recent comments made by the above mentioned, Strickland and other social media users regarding his relationship with Namajunas.
“This whole Sean Strickland thing that is all over the place, everywhere – years ago, Rose (Namajunas) did an interview and said, ‘I joined Roufusport when I was 14 years old, and then I left Roufusport for a few years,’” Pat Barry said on The MMA Hour. “Then I came back to Roufusport, to pursue my MMA career, and that’s where I met my fiancé, Pat Barry.’ When the guy wrote the interview up, he wrote, ‘Rose Namajunas joined Roufusport when she was 14 years old, where she met her fiance, Pat Barry, when she was 14 years old.”
“That’s where everyone is getting this sh*t from – a botched interview,” Pat Barry explained. “That’s where everyone is gettin all that from because someone decided to write it that way. It must’ve seemed credible and they just run with it. It’s those type of things everywhere that cause Rose to get into the fight with Carla, and be emotional.” (Transcribed by BJPENN)