'Big' John McCarthy explains why Jessica Andrade's slam of Rose Namajunas was legal

Jessica Andrade’s slam of Rose Namajunas on Saturday night at UFC 237 was more than a little scary looking.

Namajunas landed at an angle that appeared to be just an inch or two off from inflicting a broken neck at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. As it was, Namajunas was knocked out by the move, which gave Andrade the UFC strawweight title.

Nearly as soon as the fight ended, though, the debate flared on social media: Was this move legal?

Spiking a fighter on his or hear head is illegal, and this was awfully close. But if anyone knows the intricacies of the Unified Rules of MMA, it’s “Big” John McCarthy.

McCarthy’s officiating career began at UFC 2, and he helped craft the rules that legitimized the sport and helped it thrive. He oversaw bouts for nearly a quarter century before his recent retirement to take a job as a Bellator commentator.

And when asked by a fan on Saturday night, McCarthy confirmed that, yes, Andrade won the title fair and square.

When Rose goes for the armbar she has a choice to either let go of the armbar or try and hold onto it and go for the ride that Andrade is going to put on her. There is no illegal slam when a submission is being attempted. It does not matter how she brings her down #AskBJM

So there you have it. When a fighter holds an attempted submission, all bets are off. And Namajunas held onto a Kimura the entire time.

For more on UFC 237, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.