Rose Namajunas Returns Against Jessica Andrade

UFC women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is finally set for her long-awaited Octagon return.

Word just broke from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that Namajunas will defend her title against Jessica Andrade. “Thug” Rose will travel into enemy territory to do so. The two will throw down in the co-main event of May 11’s UFC 237 from Brazil.

Namajunas has been out of action since she made her first title defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event of last April’s UFC 223. The bout was an immediate rematch of her first fight with Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217. There, she shocked the world by knocking out the former champion in the first round.

Namajunas was involved in the infamous Conor McGregor bus attack before UFC 223, however. She’s admitted that the senseless attack has caused her mental problems in the time since. She also was dealing with a neck injury.

Andrade has won three straight fights since losing a title bid against Jedrzejczyk in 2017.

UFC 237 does not have an official venue as of this writing.