Rose Namajunas is a bonafide flyweight contender. The previous UFC ladies’s strawweight champion makes her third look at 125 kilos when she takes on streaking contender Tracy Cortez in her residence base of Denver in the primary occasion of UFC Struggle Night time on Saturday.
Namajunas (13-6) earned her No. 6 rating within the UFC’s official ladies’s flyweight High 15 by defeating Amanda Ribas in her second flyweight look. It was a step in the precise path after dropping to Manon Fiorot — who appears to solely be behind Valentina Shevchenko within the title queue — in Namajunas’ flyweight debut. Namajunas beforehand skilled alongside Kamaru Usman and Justin Gaethje beneath the steerage of coach Trevor Wittman in Denver. Namajunas will get a uncommon residence sport in her metropolis.
“A win is a win. You know the way the UFC works, you are solely related in the event you’re successful, or clearly in the event you do one thing particular,” Namajunas informed reporters at Thursday’s media day. “That is positively excessive on my precedence listing: primary is to guard myself always, however quantity two is to win, after which quantity three is to be spectacular and carry out and be me, and do what I do greatest.”
Cortez (11-1) unexpectedly finds herself within the greatest combat of her profession. Cortez changed Maycee Barber on brief discover, combating a former champion in a five-round primary occasion. Cortez is an attention-grabbing presence within the ladies’s flyweight division. She’s on a formidable 11-fight successful streak however has struggled with exercise within the final 4 years. Almost each combat has gone to a choice however her on-line presence generates respectable fanfare. Preventing somebody of Namajunas’ ilk on a good turnaround isn’t superb, however a Cortez victory will meaningfully speed up her profession.
“She’s a veteran. This is not her first rodeo so I do know she’s mentally conscious of what is to return,” Cortez stated. “However she hasn’t fought a 125er like myself. She hasn’t fought somebody like me at this weight division. Simply as unprepared as I’m, she is as effectively.
“I will be 6-0 within the UFC with a 12-1 professional file. Though I have not been as energetic, I believe I deserve [a title shot]. If not, I am not too anxious about what’s subsequent.”
Essentially the most attention-grabbing combat on Saturday’s card is the light-weight tilt between Drew Dober and Jean Silva. The fighters have 32 mixed finishes and severe appetites for violence. Dober is coming off a choice loss to Renato Moicano however his 5 prior fights ended through knockout. Madman Silva makes a two-week turnaround, filling in for Mike Davis, after defeating Charles Jourdain through second-round KO at UFC 303 on June 29.
Beneath is the remainder of the combat card for Saturday with the most recent odds earlier than we get to a prediction and decide on the primary occasion.
UFC Struggle Night time card, odds
| Rose Namajunas -210 | Tracy Cortez +175 | Girls’s flyweight |
| Santiago Ponzinibbio -190 | Muslim Salikhov +160 | Welterweight |
| Drew Dober -115 | Jean Silva -105 | Light-weight |
| Gabriel Bonfim -360 | Ange Loosa +280 | Welterweight |
| Christian Rodriguez -210 | Julian Erosa +175 | Featherweight |
| Abdul Razak Alhassan -170 | Cody Brundage +145 | Middleweight |
UFC Struggle Night time viewing data
Date: July 13 | Begin time: 10 p.m. ET (primary card)
Location: Ball Area — Denver
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (strive at no cost)
Prediction
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez: Namajunas isn’t an optimum flyweight and Cortez is healthier fitted to the burden class than Ribas was. Cortez has statistical benefits in hanging output, hanging accuracy, constructive hanging differential, takedown common and takedown protection. The stats determine Cortez’s environment friendly type however it’s essential to acknowledge that Namajunas has confronted much better opponents. Cortez should overcome two main hurdles: Namajunas’ expertise towards high quality foes and five-round experience. Namajunas has locked up a number of instances with Zhang Weili, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade and Carla Esparza, and has ready for 9 five-round fights. Cortez’s greatest win is arguably pre-UFC Erin Blanchfield and he or she’s by no means fought greater than three rounds.
Cortez should depend on her wrestling and dimension benefit to take rounds from Namajunas. The previous strawweight champion’s energy hasn’t translated to flyweight however she will be able to work behind her jab to take rounds. I am leaning in the direction of Namajunas primarily because of Denver’s elevation. We have seen many fighters thwarted by their cardiovascular system’s incapacity to acclimate to Denver’s excessive altitude. Namajunas advantages from coaching commonly in that atmosphere, Cortez’s brief turnaround — regardless of being scheduled for a combat in Las Vegas one week later towards Miranda Maverick — and the combat’s 25-minute time restrict. Namajunas through Unanimous Determination
Who wins UFC Struggle Night time: Namajunas vs. Cortez, and the way precisely does every combat finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Struggle Night time, all from the MMA professional who profited greater than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks in 2023, and discover out.