Rose Namajunas’ reason for withdrawing from her UFC 249 rematch with Jessica Andrade is a sobering one.
Namajunas, who was supposed to run it back with fellow former strawweight champ Andrade after losing the first meeting last May, pulled out of the fight on Wednesday for an undisclosed reason.
On Thursday, Namajunas’ manager, Brian Butler of SuckerPunch Entertainment, released a statement on her behalf revealing that she is mourning two family members whose deaths were related to the coronavirus (via Instagram).
Immediate release: @rosenamajunas withdrew from UFC 249 due to 2 deaths in the family related to the Coronavirus. Her hopes are to return to the Octagon as soon as possible but for now we ask for people to respect their privacy during this time.
Butler did not elaborate on on exactly which members of Namajunas’ family died. Regardless, it explains her reason for not fighting at UFC 249, which the promotion is moving forward with on April 18 despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC 249 reportedly will take place on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, Calif. There’s been much controversy about the potential safety measures for the card, but UFC president Dana White insists the organization will ensure excessive measures are taken to avoid coronavirus contamination.
