Rose Namajunas begins thinking about second title shot ahead of UFC Denver

Rose Namajunas is hopeful that a win on Saturday will put her in position to accomplish something she once barely dreamed of.

Namajunas (13-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) will face last-minute replacement Tracy Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in front of her hometown fans in the main event of UFC on ESPN 59. Cortez fills in for Maycee Barber, who was forced to withdraw in late June.

The bout will be Namajunas' third appearance in the UFC flyweight division, but the former women's strawweight champion already has a shot at a 125-pound belt, which would make her a rare dual-division titleholder.

“When I started my career with UFC, that was the vision I had in my head. It wasn't very solid, but I definitely wanted to be a champion,” Namajunas told MMA Junkie Radio. “And somewhere in my mind, I wanted to be a champion in two weight classes as well.”

“But it seemed so far away that I wasn't sure if it would happen. But now I know it can be done.”

Namajunas lost the strawweight belt to Carla Esparza during her second title run, then moved up to flyweight but lost to Manon Fiorot, but she bounced back against Amanda Rivas in March and a win over Cortez, who is unbeaten in the UFC and undefeated since her pro debut, might be enough to propel her up a division, especially given the name recognition she enjoys one division below.

Cortez won't be an easy fight, but Namajunas is favored to win at least 2 to 1. Namajunas said she had a long time to prepare for the Barber fight and had to make some changes, but that it wasn't enough to worry her.

“It's not like night and day difference,” Namajunas said. “As far as what I'm trying to do, my approach is the same, it's pretty much the same every time. Defensively, I just have to look at it a little bit differently. I think Tracy has better back control on the ground. She's also great on top. … With Tracy, there's less dynamics and she attacks a little bit more. But she has great fundamentals, so I want to make sure my fundamentals are better than hers, plus I have that extra flair. I can beat her anywhere, so that's my goal.”

Namajunas is ranked No. 6 in UFC's official women's flyweight rankings, with Barber ranked No. 4, so a win over her would go a long way in differentiating her from former champions Valentina Shevchenko, Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield.

Cortes is ranked 11th in the world, but Namajunas believes taking a risk against a lower-ranked opponent is not a win-win situation.

“I can say I'm in the running for the title,” Namajunas said. “God willing, I'm healthy, I'm in shape and I'm ready to win and take on any opportunity they give me. I can see myself fighting for the belt in the near future. I just have to do my job and perform to the best of my ability. Anything is possible.”

For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC on ESPN 59 event hub.