Rose Namajunas, the former two-time women’s strawweight champion, has found a new home at flyweight. Even though she lost to Manon Fiorot on her flyweight debut, she bounced back with an impressive performance over Amanda Ribas. Next up for Namajunas at UFC Denver is Tracy Cortez, who has not lost in MMA since her professional debut.
Cortez Brings Grit to Fight Against Well-Rounded Namajunas
Maycee Barber, the fourth-ranked flyweight contender, was Namajunas’s original opponent. However, ongoing health problems resulted in her withdrawal, and the 11th-ranked Cortez replaced her. Barber was on a six-fight winning streak, her latest being against Katlyn Cerminara, the former flyweight title challenger, at UFC 299.
Cortez is no slouch, either. After winning her fight at Dana White’s Contender Series, the Phoenix native has reeled off five straight victories. However, she has never finished an opponent in the promotion. On the other hand, Rose Namjunas snapped her two-fight losing streak in her last fight against Ribas at UFC Vegas 89.
Namajunas began her MMA career showcasing exceptional BJJ and is now a Brown belt. However, she became a polished striker, particularly under coach Trevor Wittman. With Black belts in Karate and Taekwondo, the former strawweight champion is now potent in the feat. Moreover, the 32-year-old has improved in her wrestling as well.
Cortez is the exact opposite of Namajunas. Unlike the former strawweight champion, a well-rounded fighter, the 30-year-old Cortez has deficiencies in all aspects of the game. However, she has willed through her opposition with grit. One thing Cortez has over Namajunas is size; she has fought at bantamweight, and Namajunas struggled against Manon Fiorot, a big featherweight.
Official Prediction: Tracy Cortez via decision at UFC Denver. Namajunas has not looked great since she lost the strawweight title to Carla Esparza. Moreover, Fiorot’s size bothered Namajunas. Furthermore, she likes to fight technical battles, which Cortez will never let happen.
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