UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is in a longtime relationship with MMA veteran Pat Barry. While the two fighters are happily together now, things were not always so great. In the video below, Namajunas broke down crying over the admittance of her boyfriend’s history with substance abuse.
Note: If you or someone you know want to get help for substance abuse, call the 24-hour hotline now at, 1-888-961-4558. It’s never too late.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Pat Barry revealed that he was once arrested for driving under the influence.
“That was the moment, I realized, I can’t get out of this cell if they don’t let me out, I can’t get out,” Barry said. “Me, ‘Gorilla Pat,’ I can’t physically break out. I can’t talk my way out. The one person I called hung the phone up, and didn’t answer, Rose. [She was] disappointed. I figured out this doesn’t need to go any further. I realized, s–t needs to change and s–t needs to change now.”
“Pills and stuff, it’s not for me because I want all of them,” Barry said. “They don’t have enough for me. It’s like, ‘If one makes you feel like this, what does 17 make you feel like?’”
“Go back to any of Rose’s performances that didn’t seem quite right. It was me,” He continued. “I was the outside distraction. This guy. Any performance. I’m not talking about just fighting. Any interview that seemed off and weird, any post on social media, it was my f—king fault. So I said, I’m not doing that no more. She should’ve been world champ two years ago. It was me. I didn’t know it was me, but it was me.”
With tears in her eyes, Rose Namajunas stepped into frame and offered a few words of her own.
“I just love this guy,” Namajunas said. “We’ve been bouncing around a lot, I never had a place to call home. I have a home now, not just an actual house, but my coaches and this guy. If I can’t do it with them, I don’t want to do it. It’s more about the journey and the experiences with each other, and that makes it the best rollercoaster ever.”
Pat Barry returned to offer some final words on the matter.
“We found a different lifestyle, a path we like a lot better,” he said. “Not only do we like it a lot better, I think everybody likes it a lot better. It’s more fun. It’s more healthy for everyone. It’s not dark anymore. It’s light now.”
Check out the original interview in the video below:
We bring this story to light, as a reminder that no one is perfect, and most have had brushes with substance abuse in their life, either personally or that of a loved one. It is never too late to seek help.
