"She doesn't leave her house" - When Rose Namajunas' coach detailed how Conor McGregor's infamous 2018 bus attack mentally affected 'Thug'
Back in 2018, Rose Namajunas found herself at the center of one of the year's most infamous incidents: Conor McGregor's bus attack at UFC 223 Media Day. The attack was so horrifying that Namajunas was left traumatized, at least according to her coach, Trevor Wittman.
He said as much on a past episode of Ariel Helwani's podcast, The MMA Hour. Namajunas, who is known for having mental struggles, was severely rattled by McGregor's attack on the bus, which she was on, along with other members of the UFC roster. In fact, she was so fearful she confined herself to her house.
When Helwani touched on the gravity of the bus incident, Wittman was open and honest about Namajunas' state of mind at the time.
"She doesn't leave her house. If you just bring the subject up, the promotion of showing that, for promoting the show that's coming up, yeah that's great for the promotion to sell tickets, but, I mean, it bothers me just on how much it bothers her."
Check out Trevor Wittman's comments about Rose Namajunas' mental state after the bus attack (15:46):
Fortunately, Namajunas overcame her PTSD regarding the bus attack and managed to defend her then-newly minted UFC women's strawweight title against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the pair's rematch.
Meanwhile, the Irishman went on to lose to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the object of his ire, which is what sparked the bus attack in the first place, as he sought retribution for the Dagestani slapping his then-close friend, Artem Lobov.
Rose Namajunas will headline UFC Vegas 89 this weekend
Five years later, Rose Namajunas is set to headline UFC Vegas 89, but she is not coming into the event in a strong position. The two-time UFC champion is currently on a two-fight losing streak and is currently plying her trade in a new division at women's flyweight. Now, she takes on the scrappy Amanda Ribas.
The Brazilian is flying high after a recent TKO win over her fellow countrywoman, Luana Pinheiro. A bout with 'Thug Rose' promises to be her most high-profile fight to date and marks her chance to truly make a statement in the promotion.