Tracy Cortez Steps in to Fight Thug Rose & Searches for First Major Win Under UFC Banner

July 1, 2024

2 days

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The UFC’s return to Denver for the first time since 2018 was supposed to feature an in-state favorite fight with a former champion to put herself in the women’s flyweight title picture. But Maycee Barber, who is from Greeley, Colorado, had to pull out of her scheduled fight with former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. With an opening available, the UFC convinced No. 11-ranked Tracy Cortez to step up in her place.

Injuries and inactivity have slowed down Cortez’s progress as a fighter. The best win on Cortez’s resume, according to MMAfighting latest news, came back when Cortez was still in Invicta FC. Cortez won a split decision over Erin Blanchfield back in February 2019.

While Cortez has been competing in the UFC for nearly five years, she hasn’t quite broken through to the top level of competition. Cortez hasn’t lost a professional fight since she lost her debut in August 2017. Namajunas has been working on climbing back to the sport’s top after a few difficult losses.

Thug Rose Still Rehabbing Image

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Namajunas’ fall from grace was hard to watch. She has been involved in several of the best strawweight fights in the promotion’s history. However, Namajunas has been battling negative energy since her loss to Carla Esparza at UFC 275.

When Namajunas and Esparza fought, neither fighter threw a lot of volume. The five-round snooze fest with Esparza’s was why some fans turned on Namajunas’ reputation. Since Namajunas last defended the belt with a split decision win in November 2021, Namajunas has only fought three times.

But anyone looking at Namajunas’ record shouldn’t be fooled by her 12-6 record. Namajunas, 31, has produced quality victories in big spots. Namajunas shocked the MMA world by ending Joanna Jędrzejczyk’s long title reign with a first-round TKO win in November 2017.

After Namajunas lost the championship to Jessica Andrade by slam KO at UFC 237, she quickly regained the belt with a head-kick KO of Zhang Weili at UFC 261. While Namajunas has shown she has a championship pedigree, MMA latest updates show that Namajunas hasn’t looked as motivated as of late.

Namajunas beat Amanda Ribas during a slow, five-round decision last time out.

What Does Cortez Bring to the Table?

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Cortez is on a dream winning streak for any fight. She has now reeled off 11 straight victories but doesn’t seem any closer to claiming UFC gold. Fighting Namajunas on short notice should give everyone a good idea of how close she is.

The best MMA news sites show Cortez is unlikely to wrestle. Nine of Cortez’s 12 career fights have gone the distance. Cortez has knocked out another fighter since 2018.

That makes this matchup dangerous for Cortez. Namajunas has always excelled in the standup. While Cortez is also a good striker, she hasn’t been tested much in the UFC. When looking at Cortez’s recent opponents, there isn’t one that would leap off the page and impress a casual fan.

But that’s what makes MMA fun. Cortez will now have another opportunity against a savvy veteran who hopes to stay active as a legitimate contender in a weight class higher than where she found the most success in her career.

Cortez has grown up in a family of fighters. Cortez’s oldest brother, Jose, fought professionally and beat a former UFC veteran Drew Fickett. However, Jose would get sick soon after the fight. Jose was diagnosed with germ cell cancer and died in 2011.

Cortez had to figure out how to overcome the sadness after her brother’s illness. She said that Henry Cejudo, a former Olympic gold medal wrestler and two-division UFC champion, helped her overcome her grief and stay in the sport.

Schedule Changes Have Had UFC Scrambling to Fill Spots

Cortez and Namajunas have been confirmed as the co-main event for UFC Denver. However, who will have their name on the marquee is still to be determined. Rumors were flying that Jared Cannonier would be eager to fill the spot after a controversial stoppage in his knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov.

However, reports later confirmed that Cannonier is unavailable because he has been medically suspended for 45 days. There have been some talks that Kevin Holland may be appearing on the card. Holland is a fan favorite who is always available to engage in a firefight.

But the UFC has shown that it is more than capable of handling a little craziness with scheduling. For UFC 303, the promotion had to move quickly to find a new main event after Conor McGregor pulled out of his fight with Michael Chandler.

With some quick thinking and deal-making, the UFC assembled a rematch of the light heavyweight championship between Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka.

What Else to Expect From the Card

The UFC has already seen its fair share of cancellations for its Denver event. A welterweight fight between Mike Malott and Gilbert Urbina was supposed to take place. Urbina withdrew for unannounced reasons.

Malott decided to pull out after sustaining an injury during training. Drew Dober and Mike Davis were supposed to fight at lightweight. Davis suffered a torn bicep, and no replacement opponent has been scheduled for Dober. Chris Duncan and Nazim Saydkov were supposed to fight at lightweight. But Duncan had to be replaced. When Duncan was replaced with Marquel Mederos, that bout would be changed again when Mederos pulled out.

Having so many pull outs in Denver was a surprise, considering one of the more popular MMA gyms has popped up in Denver. Elevation Fight Team has assembled some of the top talent in the sport.

While things will likely change, here are the other fights set for the card: