UFC Edmonton went down this past weekend (Sat., Nov. 2, 2024) inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, leaving several fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Ariane Lipski da Silva, who was choked out by Jasmine Jasudavicius (see it again here).
And Marc-Andre Barriault, who was viciously knocked out by Dustin Stoltzfus in the first round (see it again here). But, which fighters are suffering from the worst post-fight hangovers now a few days removed from the show?
Amir Albazi and Rose Namajunas.
For Albazi — who was headlining the event opposite Brandon Moreno — one more win would’ve likely earned him his first-ever title shot. After all, he was on a six-fight win streak and ranked No. 3 at 125 pounds. Unfortunately for “The Prince,” he ran into the former division king who looked fresh and rejuvenated after taking a small eight-month break from action.
Indeed, “The Assassin Baby” was crisp with his striking all night, battering Albazi from start to finish.
Albazi simply couldn’t get much going, ending up with a forgettable performance that likely cost him a 125-pound title, while also being taken to the hospital afterward for precautionary measures.
“It wasn’t my night last night, but this is part of life — you win some; you lose some,” Albazi said on Instagram. “All respect to Brandon Moreno, he was the better man. I’ll be back, I promise. I’ll be back on that horse and keep improving, keep getting better. You guys will see me soon. Thank you for the support.”
As far as what could be next for him, he will have to start from scratch on his hunt back to the championship picture, and a fight against Tatsuro Taira — who is coming off a loss to Brandon Royval — seems appropriate.
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Namajunas, meanwhile, was eying a title shot at Flyweight after racking up back-to-back impressive wins over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez. A win over Blanchfield would have more than likely giving the chance to win her second title in as many divisions, but “Cold Blooded” just proved to be too resilient and would not let her own championship fight aspirations pass her by.
It’s a disappointing loss for “Thug Rose,” who seemed to be in control of the fight after the first two rounds. Undeterred, Blanchfield regrouped and took over for the final 15 minutes en route to securing a unanimous decision win. Like Albazi, Namajunas couldn’t capitalize on her opportunity at hand to secure a title fight, and will now have to work a bit harder to get back into contention.
As far as what could be next for her, if Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot throw down for the title in early 2025, I would love to see “Thug Rose” take on the loser of that fight. If it’s Fiorot, it would give her the chance to avenge that loss. If it’s Shevchenko, it’s a great matchup countless fights fans have been longing to see.
Another matchup that could be interesting is a fight against Alexa Grasso, assuming Blanchfield doesn’t get her first.
For complete UFC Edmonton results and play-by-play click HERE.