Rose Namajunas Dominates Tracy Cortez, Wants Next UFC Title Shot

Rose Namajunas used her superior striking and wrestling skills to stop a valiant effort from Tracy Cortez to earn a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC Fight Night Saturday night from a sold-out Ball Arena in Denver.

It was a homecoming for the UFC’s No. 6-ranked flyweight Namajunas (14-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC), who has lived in Denver for the past decade, and the former two-time strawweight champion dominated in every facet against Cortez. In the early portions of the fight, Namajunas used her superior striking to outbox Cortez, and her grappling dominated the middle rounds.

By scores of 49-46, 49-46, 48-47, Namajunas secured her second straight victory after losing her flyweight debut to Manon Fiorot in 2023.

“I’m Colorado’s first UFC champion, so I want to take that belt home,” Namajunas said after the win. “Either that or a women’s BMF (title fight).”

With flyweight champion Alexa Grasso set to fight Valentina Shevchenko later this year and Fiorot likely next in line, Namajunas may still be a fight or two away from a title shot. But it appears that “Thug Rose” is finding her feet in a new division and could be back in the mix for a title shot sooner rather than later.

Cortez, who was originally scheduled to play Miranda Maverick the following week, accepted the assignment with less than three weeks’ notice after Maycee Barber was forced to withdraw due to ongoing health issues.

It was a huge step up in competition for Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), and Namajunas showed her that there are levels to combat sports. Cortez came in as the UFC’s No. 11-ranked flyweight and was coming off her first loss since her professional debut in 2017.

Namajunas used early calf kicks and showed her exceptional striking ability, landing a sharp jab and several right hands in the early stages of the fight. A left hook from Namajunas sent Cortez to the canvas, snapping off an eyelash. Namajunas followed her to the mat in pursuit of the finish, but changed his mind and brought the fight back to the feet for the remainder of the round.

Cortez adjusted in the second round to avoid being caught by Namajunas’ superior striking. However, she struggled to keep up with Namajunas and put her wrestling to work. Although Cortez was seen as the better wrestler, the tables were turned when Namajunas secured a late takedown in the closing seconds of the round, setting the tone for what would happen in the next two rounds.

Sensing the fight slipping away, Cortez aggressively pursued the former champion, but was stopped by a takedown from Namajunas. From that point on, Namajunas demonstrated exceptional top control, denying Cortez the chance to get up for most of the round. When Cortez finally got to her feet, Namajunas front-kicked her in the face at the end of the round.

Namajunas continued to dominate the match wherever she went, dragging Cortez to the mat in the fourth round with her offensive wrestling and closing the match with her striking talent, which dominated the action.