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 Evening on Saturday.
Namajunas (13-6) earned her No. 6 rating within the UFC’s official girls’s flyweight Prime 15 by defeating Amanda Ribas in her second flyweight look. It was a step in the appropriate path after shedding 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 recreation in her metropolis.
“A win is a win. You know the way 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 positively 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 finest.”
Cortez (11-1) unexpectedly finds herself within the largest combat of her profession. Cortez changed Maycee Barber on quick discover, preventing a former champion in a five-round foremost occasion. Cortez is an fascinating 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 combat has gone to a choice however her on-line presence generates respectable fanfare. Combating somebody of Namajunas’ ilk on a good turnaround shouldn’t be ideally suited, 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 nicely.
“I will be 6-0 within the UFC with a 12-1 professional report. Though I have not been as energetic, I believe I deserve [a title shot]. If not, I am not too nervous about what’s subsequent.”
Probably the most fascinating combat 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 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.
Under is the remainder of the combat card for Saturday with the newest odds earlier than we get to a prediction and decide on the principle occasion.
UFC Battle Evening 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 Battle Evening viewing info
Date: July 13 | Begin time: 10 p.m. ET (foremost card)
Location: Ball Area — Denver
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (attempt free of charge)
Prediction
Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez: Namajunas shouldn’t be an optimum flyweight and Cortez is healthier suited to the load class than Ribas was. Cortez has statistical benefits in placing output, placing accuracy, optimistic placing differential, takedown common and takedown protection. The stats establish 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 in opposition to 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 finest 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 as a result of Denver’s elevation. We have seen many fighters thwarted by their cardiovascular system’s lack of ability to acclimate to Denver’s excessive altitude. Namajunas advantages from coaching usually in that setting, Cortez’s quick turnaround — regardless of being scheduled for a combat in Las Vegas one week later in opposition to Miranda Maverick — and the combat’s 25-minute time restrict. Namajunas through Unanimous Choice
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