- No. 6-ranked women’s flyweight contender Rose Namajunas faces the No. 11-rated challenger Tracy Cortez in Denver.
- Namajunas and Cortez are coming off wins from their previous fights.
- Namajunas is the -220 betting favorite, and Cortez is the +180 betting underdog.
A crucial women’s flyweight match will headline the UFC fight night card this weekend inside the Ball Arena in Denver as No. 6-ranked contender Rose Namajunas battles with No. 11-ranked challenger Tracy Cortez. A win for either fighter could bolt them to the top of the weight class and inch closer toward a title shot.
Denver, are you ready? 👀@RoseNamajunas vs @TracyCortezMMA#UFCDenver | 📍 @BallArenaDenver pic.twitter.com/XM6mu9o4ud
— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2024
Namajunas, a former two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion who moved up to the 125-pound division and split her first two matches, is the betting favorite with -220 UFC odds . Meanwhile, Cortez, who is undefeated in the promotion, assumes the betting underdog role at +180.
Rose Namajunas Recent Fight Results
Namajunas is a UFC veteran who made her promotional debut in December 2014. She competed for eight years in the 115-pound division and won the coveted belt twice before officially moving up to the strawweight division in 2023.
Always exciting when Thug Rose is in the Octagon 🌹@RoseNamajunas is BACK this weekend to headline #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/mEpOrTXoAn
— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2024
“Thug Rose” made her flyweight debut in September against Manon Fiorot but was defeated unanimously. But she immediately bounced back in March, when she beat Amanda Ribas by decision to earn a spot in the top 10 rankings.
Tracy Cortez Recent Fight Results
Cortez was an alumna of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. She competed in Season 3, Week 6, and won against Mariya Agapova to earn a roster spot under the Las Vegas-based promotion.
She's riding a 5 fight win streak heading into the weekend! 👊
Watch @TracyCortezMMA in our #UFCDenver main event! pic.twitter.com/8v0VGpmpUR
— UFC (@ufc) July 8, 2024
Since then, she has swept all her assignments, defeating Vanessa Melo, Stephanie Egger, Justine Kish, and Melissa Gatto. Cortez’s latest victory was against Jasmine Jasudavicius, whom she defeated by decision in September.
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez: Tale of the Tape
| Rose Namajunas | Tracy Cortez | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 32 | 30 |
| Height | 5’5” | 5’5” |
| Reach | 65 inches | 65 inches |
| Leg Reach | 39.5 inches | 38.5 inches |
| Record | 13-6 | 11-1 |
| Fighting Style | MMA | MMA |
| Finishing Rate | 62% | 18% |
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez: Fight Analysis
The only significant gap between the two flyweight contenders is their age and finishing rate, as Namajunas has the advantage. She is older by two years, which accounts for more experience, and she is a 44% better finisher.
Although they have a similar MMA fight style, both have a different approach when inside the octagon. For Namajunas, she is a more calculated fighter who patiently waits and times her attack with precision and power.
This approach allowed Namajunas to become a two-time UFC strawweight champion and quickly acclimate her in the 125-pound division when she decided to move up. Her ideal fight plan is to lure Cortez to overextend and then counter her with powerful punches and kicks.
On the other hand, Cortez uses a different method because she’s a pressure fighter who likes to march forward and beat her opponents with pace and volume. Her wrestling is one of her arsenal’s most lethal facets, and she uses it to set up ground and pound attacks.
Heading into this all-important matchup, two key factors could decide the outcome. First is Cortez’s inactivity—she only had five fights in her five-year tenure with the UFC—and Namajunas’s championship experience.
These two factors should be enough for Namajunas to get the nod from the judges from their scorecards. Cortez’s toughness, grit, and incredible cardio could propel her to see all five rounds in the main event feature.
Official Prediction: Unanimous decision victory for Rose Namajunas.
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