Rose Namajunas is a bonafide flyweight contender. The previous UFC girls’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 principle occasion of UFC Battle Night time on Saturday.
Namajunas (13-6) earned her No. 6 rating within the UFC’s official girls’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 educated alongside Kamaru Usman and Justin Gaethje below the steering of coach Trevor Wittman in Denver. Namajunas will get a uncommon residence recreation in her metropolis.
“A win is a win. You understand how the UFC works, you are solely related in case you’re profitable, or clearly in case you do one thing particular,” Namajunas instructed reporters at Thursday’s media day. “That is undoubtedly excessive on my precedence checklist: 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 largest battle of her profession. Cortez changed Maycee Barber on quick discover, preventing a former champion in a five-round predominant occasion. Cortez is an attention-grabbing presence within the girls’s flyweight division. She’s on a powerful 11-fight profitable streak however has struggled with exercise within the final 4 years. Practically each battle has gone to a call however her on-line presence generates respectable fanfare. Combating somebody of Namajunas’ ilk on a good turnaround just isn’t supreme, 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 come back,” Cortez mentioned. “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 lively, I believe I deserve [a title shot]. If not, I am not too fearful about what’s subsequent.”
Probably the most attention-grabbing battle on Saturday’s card is the light-weight tilt between Drew Dober and Jean Silva. The fighters have 32 mixed finishes and critical appetites for violence. Dober is coming off a call loss to Renato Moicano however his 5 prior fights ended by way of knockout. Madman Silva makes a two-week turnaround, filling in for Mike Davis, after defeating Charles Jourdain by way of second-round KO at UFC 303 on June 29.
Under is the remainder of the battle card for Saturday with the newest odds earlier than we get to a prediction and decide on the principle occasion.
UFC Battle Night time card, odds
| Rose Namajunas -210 | Tracy Cortez +175 | Ladies’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 Battle Night time viewing info
Date: July 13 |Â Begin time: 10 p.m. ET (predominant card)
Location: Ball Area — Denver
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (strive totally free)
Prediction
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez: Namajunas just isn’t an optimum flyweight and Cortez is best suited to the burden class than Ribas was. Cortez has statistical benefits in placing output, placing accuracy, optimistic placing differential, takedown common and takedown protection. The stats determine Cortez’s environment friendly fashion but it surely’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.Â
Cortez should depend on her wrestling and measurement 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 direction of Namajunas primarily on account 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 surroundings, Cortez’s quick turnaround — regardless of being scheduled for a battle in Las Vegas one week later towards Miranda Maverick — and the battle’s 25-minute time restrict. Namajunas by way of Unanimous Determination
Who wins UFC Battle Night time: Namajunas vs. Cortez, and the way precisely does every battle finish? Go to SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Battle Night time, all from the MMA knowledgeable who profited greater than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks in 2023, and discover out.Â