Miranda Maverick intends to prove she’s more worthy of a place in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings than Tracy Cortez when the pair meet this summer.
Maverick (13-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is currently sitting outside the top 15 at 125 pounds in the UFC’s official rankings, with Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) holding the No. 11 spot going into UFC Fight Night on July 20 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
On paper, it’s difficult for Maverick to grasp the gap in positioning. Maverick has won four of her past five fights dating back to March 2022, whereas Cortez has fought just twice in that same stretch. Cortez may be unbeaten in the octagon, but she hasn’t competed more than once in a calendar year since 2019.
Maverick knows there’s much more to the fight game than solely comparing resumes, though, and she thinks that’s why Cortez is in her current position.
“I think politics have a lot to do with fighting,” Maverick told MMA Junkie Radio. “She’s that pretty girl on Instagram and everything else. And I think that’s the reason she’s still ranked to begin with. She’s a very inactive fighter, hasn’t really fought anyone ranked, and she’s still been ranked for a long period of time now. I wouldn’t doubt if I fight her, she still remains in the top 12 and I get bumped to No. 13 or No. 12 myself.”
Despite her thoughts on Cortez, there’s no denying this is a rewarding matchup for Maverick. She’s getting the chance to fight upward and build more notoriety against an opponent with a solid fanbase and following.
At 26, Maverick is confident her skillset is still rounding into form and all of her best days are still to come. She takes the sport very seriously and said she’s making daily sacrifices to eventually complete her UFC championship mission, and Maverick hopes this fight serves as a crucial step in her career trajectory.
“I think my stakes are kind of getting up in that top 10,” Maverick said. “Hopefully within the next two years I can become one of those (title) contenders.”
