Tracy Cortez Reflects On UFC Denver Loss To Rose Namajunas

15 Jul 2024

Forbes

DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 13: (L-R) Rose Namajunas reacts after her flyweight fight against Tracy ... [+] Cortez during the UFC Fight Night event at Ball Arena on July 13, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Tracy Cortez saw her 11-fight winning streak end on Saturday when she dropped a unanimous decision to former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas in the flyweight main event of last night's UFC Denver fight card. Cortez, who was training for a July 20 fight against Miranda Maverick, accepted the five-round fight against Namajunas on short notice. Cortez replaced Maycee Barber, who withdrew from the bout at the end of June for health-related reasons.

Had she pulled off the upset win over Namajunas, Cortez would have made an enormous jump up the women's flyweight rankings. Namajunas entered the bout as the No. 6 fighter in the official UFC women's 125-pound rankings, while Cortez came in at No. 11. Instead, Cortez will have to settle for knowing she took one of the top fighters in the division five rounds, with very little training for the altitude in Denver and not much time to prepare for Namajunas.

“I took it on a two-week notice unprepared, and I gave it all I had,” Cortez said following the UFC Denver card. “I know if I were to have a full camp, prepared, I mean my cardio was there, I think I would have been a lot better.

“We had a good game plan, but I think I proved myself tonight that I can go five [five-minute rounds]. Looking forward to the next one.”

DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 13: Tracy Cortez prepares for her flyweight fight against Rose Namajunas ... [+] during the UFC Fight Night event at Ball Arena on July 13, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Cortez had gone the three-round distance in each of her five UFC fights before Saturday, winning each of those contests by decision. Still, none of those matchups were at elevation, and none were against a fighter as experienced and well-rounded as Namajunas.

Cortez showed heart and tenacity throughout the bout, but Namajunas controlled the time, space, and pacing of the contest for the first four rounds. With her dominance over the first 20 minutes, Namajunas left Cortez needing a stoppage to earn a victory. While Cortez was much more aggressive in the fifth and final round, a round she won on all three scorecards, Namajunas was too defensively sound to provide an opening for Cortez to pick up her first stoppage win as a member of the UFC roster.

In hindsight, Cortez thought she could have pushed things earlier in the fight.

"I was really trying to pace myself the first and second round,” Cortez said. “I just realized this is give it all I have. It’s all or nothing. I think I waited a little too long to really push it on her.”

At the very least, Cortez and her team learned some valuable lessons in her first five-round UFC fight. The experience the 30-year-old gained in Denver should allow her to be better prepared for her next main event contest.

UFC Denver took place at Ball Arena. ESPN carried the entire fight card.