Pat Barry caught giving 'terrible' corner advice to Rose Namajunas as 'Thug' struggles with an injured finger; MMA Twitter erupts
Rose Namajunas' longtime partner and coach Pat Barry has come under fire yet again after 'Thug's' unsuccessful return to the ring against Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris. Namajunas had last fought at UFC 274 in May 2022, losing her strawweight title to Carla Esparza in a lukewarm clash which is also regarded as one of the most unappealing title fights of all time. Barry had faced criticism for terrible corner advice even back then.
Namajunas injured her pinky early on in her recent UFC Paris clash against Fiorot, leading to a lopsided opening frame dominated by the home fighter. As 'Thug' walked back to her corner complaining of a broken finger, Pat Barry managed to disappoint fans with his corner advice yet again. The former UFC heavyweight blatantly said:
"That's alright, you don't need a finger right now. You need to be close. Twenty more seconds."
The corner advice didn't work out too well for 'Thug' as she continued to get outclassed by the light-footed Fiorot. An accidental clash of heads left 'The Beast' bleeding late in the second round, allowing Namajunas to slightly turn the tide, although momentarily.
While Rose Namajunas started throwing with some serious intent in the final frame, it was too little too late against Manon Fiorot's excellent range control. The Frenchwoman picked up a huge decision win in front of her home fans against the former champ with the scorecards reading 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.
Fans call for Rose Namajunas to break ties with Pat Barry
The relationship between Rose Namajunas and Pat Barry continues to be a contentious subject for MMA fans, pundits, and one fighter in particular, Sean Strickland. With 13 years of age difference between them, Barry has repeatedly been accused of 'grooming' 'Thug' since she was minor.
With the exact timeline of the origin of their relationship shrouded in controversy, Barry's bad corner advice to Namajunas isn't helping with his opinion among fans. Fans have now called for the former strawweight champ to break all ties with the fiancee and go completely under the tutelage of revered coach Trevor Whittman, who is already a part of her team. @CrusadeAdhemar wrote:
"if she actually cares about her legacy, has got to get away from this groomer"
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