Ex-UFC Champion Sidelined by Eye Surgery, Reveals Return Timeline after UFC 324 Fight

Two-time UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas will apparently be out of action for a while after undergoing surgery following her latest fight at UFC 324.

The UFC finally returned last Saturday to kick off 2026 and its new Paramount deal with UFC 324, which featured a headlining interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett that saw Gaethje win the interim strap for the second time after five high-paced rounds of action.

Namajunas was one of several former UFC champions also competing at UFC 324, but unfortunately “Thug” came up short on the scorecards when she took on Natalia Silva in a title eliminator fight for the women’s flyweight division.

Rose Namajunas Undergoes Eye Surgery After UFC 324 Fight

A few days removed from the loss, Namajunas posted a video of herself on Instagram just prior to her undergoing eye surgery, the need for which apparently came about due to eye pokes sustained during the fight with Silva.

“Alright guys, I’m headed into surgery. Canalicular tube surgery. I got poked in the eye a few times in the fight, so yeah. My tube is torn, so it’s gonna be repaired right now and imma have a silicone tub in my eye. Three months. So, pray for me guys, and I’m just glad we can get it fixed.”

Although the UFC only just made its return from a six-week hiatus last weekend, eye pokes and eye surgeries have been an especially hot topic in the sport dating back to last October.

Tom Aspinall is still sidelined after being poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. | (Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed heavyweight title defense at UFC 321 unfortunately ended after the first round when he was poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane, and Aspinall still hasn’t provided a concrete timeline on when he’ll be able to return this year after undergoing multiple surgeries.

What's Next For "Thug" Rose After Missing Out On Flyweight Title Shot?

Namajunas thankfully won’t be sidelined for long following her own eye surgery, but the former champion does find herself at a bit of a career crossroads following her latest loss.

Rose Namajunas (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Zhang Weili (blue gloves) during UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden. | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

“Thug” first claimed the UFC strawweight belt with a first-round knockout of the formerly-undefeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 and defended it in an immediate rematch with Jedrzejczyk before Jessica Andrade knocked her out with a slam in 2019.

Namajunas went on to avenge that loss before reclaiming the title from Weili Zhang, but after another title defense against “Magnum” she was unseated by Carla Esparza, who had previously beaten Namajunas in a fight for the division’s inaugural belt at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter Season 20.

Natalia Silva (red gloves) fights Rose Namajunas (blue gloves) during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Silva now looks to be next in line to challenge Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko after both she and “Thug” indicated ahead of UFC 324 that they’d been told the winner would get a title shot, and Namajunas finds herself with a 3-3 record since moving up to the flyweight division in 2023.

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