Catching Up on Fiorot vs Namajunas
Alright, so I finally got around to watching the Manon Fiorot and Rose Namajunas fight from Paris. I’d heard the result, of course, but I wanted to see for myself how it all went down. Been following both fighters for a while, so I was pretty interested in this one, especially with Rose moving up to flyweight.
Settled in to watch the recording. My main thought going in was about the size difference. Fiorot’s a natural flyweight, looked pretty solid, while Rose was coming up from strawweight. You always wonder how that’s gonna play out.
Watching It Unfold
From the start, you could definitely see Fiorot looked like the bigger, stronger person in there. That’s not a knock on Rose, it’s just physics, right? Rose did her usual thing, lots of movement, trying to find angles. But Fiorot seemed really patient, not chasing wildly.
- Round 1: Felt like Fiorot was establishing her range. She used her kicks well, keeping Rose at bay sometimes. Rose landed a few quick shots, but Fiorot seemed to land the heavier stuff.
- Round 2: More of the same, really. Fiorot kept applying steady pressure. I saw Rose look at her hand or finger at some point, seemed like something was bothering her there. Didn’t stop her from trying, but Fiorot just kept marching forward, landing clean shots. There was also that clash of heads, looked nasty.
- Round 3: Rose knew she needed something big, you could tell. She tried to push the pace a bit more, looked for takedowns, but Fiorot’s defense was solid. Fiorot just stayed disciplined, stuck to her game plan, landing jabs and kicks. She never looked rushed or panicked.
My Thoughts After the Bell
When the final bell rang, it felt pretty clear cut to me. Fiorot had controlled the distance and landed the more effective shots throughout the fight. She fought a smart fight, using her size and reach really well.
So, the judges gave it to Fiorot by unanimous decision. No surprise there, honestly. It was a workmanlike performance from her. She just looked very comfortable at flyweight and executed her plan.
Tough night for Rose. Moving up in weight is never easy, especially against someone as physically strong as Fiorot. She showed heart, kept trying despite the finger issue and the clash of heads, but Fiorot was just the better fighter on the night. Makes you wonder what’s next for both of them. Fiorot’s gotta be right near a title shot now, you’d think. For Rose, maybe she needs time to figure out if flyweight is the right place for her or if she goes back down. Anyway, that was my take after watching it play out.
