Eric Nicksick believes Pat Barry cornered Rose Namajunas "like a spouse", says should have let Trevor Wittman take over
Per Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, Rose Namajunas lost her UFC strawweight title due to Pat Barry cornering her "like a spouse." In Nicksick’s opinion, Barry should've let Trevor Wittman handle the gameplanning in-between rounds.
At UFC 274, Namajunas met Carla Esparza in a women’s strawweight title fight rematch. Following a lackluster five-round affair, Esparza was declared the winner via split decision.
Eric Nicksick believes that Pat Barry's cornering of his fiancée led to her loss. He wrote on Twitter:
"I feel like Pat Berry cornered that fight like a spouse, and not her coach. Maybe that’s where you allow Trevor [Wittman] to take over. #UFC274"
Interestingly, TSN reporter Aaron Bronsteter reported that during the UFC 274 post-fight press conference, Namajunas admitted that Trevor Wittman told her she had won all four rounds heading into the final one.
It was the second time Esparza defeated Namajunas, with the UFC women’s 115-pound title on the line. ‘Cookie Monster’ was crowned the new strawweight queen eight years after her first fight with Namajunas.
The bout itself was somewhat uneventful, with only 67 significant strikes and three landed takedowns. Namajunas threw 137 strikes in total, landing just 38. Esparza threw 133 strikes, with only 30 finding the target, prompting boos from the crowd in attendance.
Rose Namajunas' former foe Joanna Jedrzejczyk eyeing a return to title mix
The UFC women’s strawweight title fight between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza at UFC 274 drew criticism from fans and fighters alike.
Former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk was quick to join the unsatisfied fans on Twitter, replying to a fan's tweet, saying she's on her way to save the division.
Jedrzejczyk has a history with both Rose Namajunas and Carla Ezparza. She beat Esparza to win the title, which she later lost to Namajunas following a dominant championship run. 'Thug' beat her in the subsequent rematch as well.
The Pole will be looking to return to winning ways when she runs it back with Zhang Weili next month at UFC 275.