UFC Fight Night Rose Namajunas powers past Tracy Cortez in ...
Published 14/07/2024 at 09:07 GMT
Rose Namajunas beat Tracy Cortez at UFC Fight Night.
Image credit: Getty Images
Rose Namajunas claimed a superb unanimous decision victory over Tracy Cortez in the main event flyweight contest at UFC Fight Night in Denver.
The fight was scored 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 in favour of the 32-year-old, topping a stacked main card at the Ball Arena.
The two-time strawweight champion delighted her hometown crowd with a dominant performance, setting her stall out early with a perfectly timed left hook in the first round.
Namajunas showcased her impressive repertoire of groundwork in the third, grappling brilliantly on the canvas, and continued her dominance in the fourth.
Cortez rallied well in the fifth to end the fight strongly, but it was nowhere near enough to deny Namajunas from claiming a well-deserved victory.
Reflecting on the fight, she toId ufc.com: “I feel really good; I put her down early and over time she gained a little more confidence, being able to pressure me, so I had to work in a little more wrestling.
“I thought it was a really well-rounded performance; I felt like I showed a lot of skills, and she showed a lot of heart - it was a good show.
“She would good bursts of energy and think: 'here's my chance', or get some guts to go for it. I was impressed with that, but then when I got strong with her, she would get tired.
“The wresting came in handy for sure.”
This win for Namajunas means 32-year-old has now claimed consecutive wins over ranked opponents after most recently overcoming Amanda Ribas in March.
Meanwhile, Cortez was halted in her tracks after winning each of her previous 11 fights.
Elsewhere on the night, Muslim Salikhov overcame Santiago Ponzinibbio in the co-main event with a victory by split decision in their welterweight clash.
Meanwhile, Jean Silva won courtesy of a doctor's third-round stoppage in a pulsating lightweight bout against Drew Dober.
UFC Fight Night: Namajunas v Cortez results
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