‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas has already built a Hall of Fame resume. Now a ranked contender in a higher weight division, the 32-year-old can solidify her status as an all-time great with a title victory at women’s flyweight. Only Amanda Nunes has achieved the female two-division champ status.
Next up for Thug Rose is Tracy Cortez, undefeated in the promotion, at UFC Denver. Maycee Barber was the original opponent. However, health issues forced the removal of ‘The Future.’ How does fighter change affect Rose’s preparation?
Namajunas Adapts Strategy for Lefty Cortez
Preluding the UFC Denver main event fight against Tracy Cortez, Rose Namajunas spoke with Scott Fontana for New York Post Sports. In the interview, the former two-time UFC strawweight champion talked about the change in the game plan after the opponent changed from Maycee Barber to Cortez.
“Tracy, I think, is a little bit better of a grappler than Macy. Macy has great clinch work and decent wrestling. But with her, you need to watch out for elbows and damaging strikes. Tracy, on the other hand, is not as dynamic or chaotic. Some might describe her as more technical, while others might see her as predictable—it depends on your perspective,” Namajunas said.
“Both fighters have similar approaches to what they would try to do against me. Tracy being a lefty required some specific preparation. But she mostly stands orthodox and throws typical boxing combinations with occasional kicks,” the 32-year-old added, revealing she and her team have prepared everything they believe Cortez would show inside the Octagon.
Undefeated in the promotion, Cortez is on a 5-fight winning streak in the UFC. With Valentina Shevchenko hesitant about fighting Alexa Grasso at UFC 306, the 30-year-old hopes to fight Grasso for the title after UFC Denver. On the other hand, Namajunas also has title aspirations in the second division.
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In fact, it is one of the main reasons Thug Rose moved to flyweight. The other is weight cut-related health issues. Will Namajunas succeed in becoming a two-division champion? The oddsmakers do not favor her, but she has upset the odds too often.
Also Read Tracy Cortez Aims for Title Fight With Alexa Grasso After Rose Namajunas Bout
