Rose Namajunas continued to prove herself as a force to be reckoned with in the flyweight division with another comprehensive performance in her win over Tracy Cortez in the main event of UFC Denver.
It was another impressive performance from the former strawweight, Namajunas, who dominated the striking and grappling exchanges for the most part throughout the bout. Namajunas' best moment came early on when she took Cortez to the mat in the first round, but she was unable to score the finish and would not find such an opportunity again in the remainder of the bout.
Still, Namajunas displayed all of her skills and was awarded a unanimous victory by the judges on the scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.
“I knew she was really tough,” Namajunas said of Cortez. “Maybe I should have just left her alone.” [after the knockdown] But she was good at taking the guard. I knew her wrestling was really good. I was hesitant to wrestle her too much, but I continued to feel successful there. I just kept going at it.”
Namajunas's speed made the difference in the early stages of the bout, as she landed straight punches on Cortes, who didn't move her head much to defend herself. Namajunas was selective with her punches, but she also landed a stiff jab, taking Cortes to the ground in the first round.
Namajunas followed her and fell to the mat, but the two-time strawweight champion quickly got back to her feet once it became clear the finish was not going to happen.
When the fight resumed in the second round, Cortez finally found her striking rhythm and was able to go for a takedown, but she quickly lost her footing as both fighters got to their feet. Namajunas was less effective with her strikes, but still landed the better combinations and landed some nice takedowns.
Namajunas continued to rely on her grappling to show she was superior to Cortez in every aspect of the fight. She maintained control, advanced to mount and took the back when Cortez tried to escape. But from there, Namajunas was unable to inflict significant damage or secure a submission. Still, Namajunas continued to widen her lead on what was becoming a demoralizing night for Cortez.
As the fight headed into the final two rounds, Namajunas bided her time by standing on the outside, striking from long range and threatening takedowns. Even when Cortez made the first move in the striking contest, her punches just missed.
Despite being urged by her corner to go all out, Cortes was unable to inflict any damage on Namajunas, who continued to escape with quick footwork and solid defense until the final horn sounded.
Overall, Namajunas is coming off two consecutive main event wins at flyweight, continuing to climb the rankings and adapting to her new weight class. As a former UFC champion, Namajunas is clearly looking to add another title to her collection…even if it's a new belt that UFC is creating for women.
“Give me the belt. I want it,” Namajunas said. “Maybe it's a female 'BMF,' I don't know.”