In the main event of Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night at a sold-out Ball Arena in Denver, Tracy held off a spirited effort by Cortez and earned a unanimous decision.
For the past decade, Denver-based UFC’s No. It was a home game for No. 6 flyweight Namajunas (14-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC), and the former two-time strawweight champion dominated in every aspect. Cortez. The early parts of the fight saw Namajunas use her superior striking to chase down Cortez, and her grappling belonged in the middle rounds.
With scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, Namajunas earned her second straight victory in 2023 after dropping her flyweight debut against Manon Fiorot.
“I’m the first UFC champion from Colorado, so I want to bring that belt home,” Namajunas said following the win. “It’s either that or the women’s PMF [title fight].”
While flyweight champion Alexa Grasso is scheduled to fight Valentina Shevchenko later this year and Fiorod could be next in line, Namajunas could be another fight or two away from a title opportunity. But “Thug Rose” appears to be finding his feet in a new division and could soon be back in the mix for a title shot.
Originally scheduled to face Miranda Maverick next week, Cortez took the job on less than three weeks’ notice after Macy Barber pulled out due to ongoing health issues.
It was a big step up in the fight for Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), and Namajunas showed the fight game has levels. Cortez is UFC’s no. Entered as the 11th-ranked flyweight and suffered his first loss since dropping his professional debut in 2017.
Namajunas landed calf kicks early on and displayed his exceptional striking ability in the opening moments of the fight, connecting with a sharp jab and several right hands. A left hook from Namajunas put Cortez on the canvas. Namajunas followed her to the mat.
Cortez made adjustments in the second round to avoid getting caught by Namajunas’ superior striking. However, she struggled to keep track of Namajunas and put her wrestling to work. Although Cortez was considered the better wrestler, the tables turned as Namajunas got a late takedown in the final seconds of the round, setting the tone for what would happen over the next two rounds.
Sensing the fight slipping away from her, Cortez aggressively pursued the former champion but was stopped by Namajunas’ takedown. From there, Namajunas displayed exceptional top control, denying Cortez the chance to get to his feet for most of the round. When Cortez was finally able to get up, Namajunas landed a front kick to her face at the end of the round.
Namajunas continued to control the fight wherever she decided to take it, dragging Cortez to the mat in the fourth round with her offensive wrestling and controlling her striking pedigree to finish the fight.
