Rose Namajunas, the former UFC strawweight champion, has given up meat after what she describes as a spiritual conviction tied directly to her Christian faith.
Namajunas had already been feeling a pull away from meat in the months leading up to her most recent match.
“I felt like God was telling me to not consume so much meat,” she said during a conversation with filmmaker Kameron Waters. At first, she attributed the feeling to practical concerns about food security and resilience rather than ethics or spirituality.
The turning point came when Namajunas watched Waters’ documentary, which follows a former Christian musician questioning what Jesus would have done regarding animal sacrifice and meat consumption. She had already completed a week-long meat fast while her husband was away, and the timing felt significant to her.
“It wasn’t a coincidence,” she said. “Then I watched it and I was just blown away. I cried like halfway through.”
One scene left her particularly undone. A cow being led to a slaughterhouse, visibly aware of what awaited it, brought on a wave of grief.
“I felt a deep sorrow and like contriteness of heart,” she said. “I cannot just sit here and continue to eat meat. I just can’t do it anymore.”
The documentary’s examination of Jesus driving out the money changers at the temple also struck her in a new light.
“There’s no way Jesus wouldn’t have gone into the temple and been so mad at the money changers and not all this like slaughter and innocent blood being shed when the Bible specifically talks about innocent blood being shed,” Namajunas said.
Reflecting on her own past choices brought her to tears as well. “I had a whole cry about it about myself and my actions,” she said.
Since making the change, she reports feeling physically strong with no cravings. “It almost feels just like maybe I was just a*dicted to it this whole time,” she reflected. She is still working through dairy and eggs but says her conviction is firm. “The spiritual side,” she said, “is just undeniable.”
