Rose Namajunas With excellent striking and grappling, Tracey Cortez He then won by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday night at a sold-out Ball Arena in Denver.
This was a home bout for Namajunas (14-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC), a No. 6-ranked UFC flyweight who has lived in Denver for the past decade, and the former two-time strawweight champion dominated Cortes in every aspect of the bout, finishing her off with superior striking in the early stages and then dominating with grappling in the middle rounds.
By scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47, Namajunas recorded her second straight win after losing her flyweight debut. Manon Fiorot 2023.
“I’m Colorado’s first UFC champion, so I want to take this belt home,” Namajunas said after her win. “Or the women’s BMF. [title fight]”
Flyweight champion and Alexa Grasso Plan to fight Valentina Shevchenko With Fiorot likely next in line for a shot later this year, Namajunas may be a fight or two away from a title shot, but “Thug Rose” is finding her footing in a new weight class and could be back in the running for a title shot soon.
Cortez, who was originally scheduled to fight Miranda Maverick He accepted the assignment the following week, with less than three weeks notice. Macy Barber He was forced to step down due to ongoing health problems.
This was a big step up for Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), as Namajunas showed her she has a level of grappling talent as well. Cortez entered the fight ranked No. 11 in the UFC flyweight division and suffered her first loss since losing her pro debut in 2017.
Namajunas showed off her striking prowess early on, landing a kick to the calf, followed by a series of sharp jabs and right punches. A left hook from Namajunas sent Cortez to the mat and knocked her an eyelash. Namajunas went after Cortez looking for a finish, but decided against it and stayed on the floor for the rest of the round.
Cortez adjusted to avoid getting caught out by Namajunas’s superior striking in the second round, but struggled to track her and use her wrestling. Though Cortez was considered the better wrestler, the tide turned when Namajunas got a takedown near the end of the round to set the tone for the next two rounds.
Sensing the fight was getting out of hand, Cortez went after the former champion hard, only to be thwarted by a takedown from Namajunas. From there, Namajunas had superior top control, denying Cortez the opportunity to get to her feet for most of the round. When Cortez finally did get to her feet, Namajunas landed a front kick to the face just before the round’s end.
Namajunas continued to control the bout on her own terms in the fourth round, dragging Cortez to the mat with aggressive wrestling and taking control of the bout with her striking prowess to close out the bout.
