Rose Namajunas has her eyes on a shot at the title after ending Tracy Cortez’s undefeated run in the UFC.
The women’s flyweight bout was the UFC on ESPN 59 main event at Ball Arena in Denver. It was a big opportunity for Cortez (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) to step up and replace an injured Maycee Barber, but the former strawweight champ Namajunas (14-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) proved there are levels to this game, winning a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47).
The former strawweight champ got to work quickly on the outside, darting in and out with quick strikes as she mixed up punches and kicks. Two minutes in, Namajunas dropped Cortez with a clean punch, knocking off an eyelash, but could not finish the fight after following her to the ground.
The fight returned to the feet a few moments later, and Namajunas remained calculated in her approach as the round progressed, continuing to pick her striking spots well.
Cortez performed better in Round 2, but Namajunas’ striking still quicker and sharper. A nice takedown from Namajunas was added in the closing moments, which would open up her grappling game.
Namajunas immediately went to the ground game again with a clean takedown early in Round 3. Cortez briefly returned to her feet, but was quickly returned to the mat. Submission attempts were defended well, and the fight returned to standing, but Cortez ate a solid front kick to the face in the closing seconds.
Fully confident in the clinch and her ability to complete takedowns, Namajunas kept the pressure on Cortez. The skill advantage in all aspects of the fight clearly favored Namajunas.
Down on the scorecards heading into the final round, Cortez needed a finish. She turned up the pressure, but couldn’t find a way to stop Namajunas.
THUG ROSE @RoseNamajunas takes the UD in front of the home crowd! #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/mAxZp8Keql
— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2024
During her post-fight interview, Namajunas called for a UFC flyweight title shot or even a women’s BMF title bout.
With the win, Namajunas stands tall in back-to-back main events. In March, she defeated Amanda Ribas by unanimous decision. Cortez walks away with her first loss in the UFC. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran won her first five appearances, all by decision.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 59 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.
