Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just one day away from the upcoming UFC Denver mixed martial arts (MMA) event, set to go down tomorrow night (Sat., July 13, 2024) on ESPN and ESPN+ from inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. UFC Denver features a 125-pound main event between former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and No. 6-ranked flyweight contender Tracy Cortez, a five-round headliner with major title implications for late 2024 and beyond.
Cortez is a late replacement for the ailing Maycee Barber.
Before we dive into the main and co-main events, which include the 170-pound scrap between welterweight veterans Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov, check out Andrew Richardson’s “X-Factor” breakdown for the rest of the UFC Denver main card by clicking here. Get all the latest “Namajunas vs. Cortez” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings right here. For UFC Denver live results and play-by-play click here.
125 lbs.: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
“Thug” Rose Namajunas
Record: 12-6 | Age: 32 | Betting line: -220
Wins: 2 KO/TKO, 5 SUB, 5 DEC | Losses: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 4 DEC
Height: 5’5“ | Reach: 65” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.69 | Striking accuracy: 41%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.51 | Striking Defense: 63%
Takedown Average: 1.38 (47% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 59%
Current Ranking: No. 6 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Amanda Ribas
Tracy Cortez
Record: 11-1 | Age: 30 | Betting line: +180
Wins: 1 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 9 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 0 DEC
Height: 5’5“ | Reach: 65” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.11 | Striking accuracy: 53%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.79 | Striking Defense: 60%
Takedown Average: 2.33 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 75%
Current Ranking: No. 11 | Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Jasmine Jasudavicius
Rose Namajunas walked away from the strawweight division after a disappointing decision loss to former 115-pound champion Carla Esparza, which is right up there with Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis as one of the worst fights of the last five years. At the time of her departure, “Thug” was ranked No. 1 in the division and not long removed from consecutive victories over Weili Zhang, making her decision to head north a rather peculiar one.
Critics accused her of sabotaging her career and things did not get off to the best start, thanks to a decision loss to Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris, but the former “Ultimate Fighter” finalist was able to bounce back with a victory over Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 89 back in March. If there’s a complaint to be lodged, it’s that Namajunas has just one finish over the last six-and-a-half years and often looks somewhat listless inside the cage.
I had high hopes for Maycee Barber to bring out the competitive side in Namajunas, so it was disappointing for me to see her lose. This is not to undermine Tracy Cortez, her new opponent, but I personally preferred the Barber matchup as it seemed more significant for the 125-pound title picture.
“I have no idea (if we’ll ever fight),” Namajunas told MMA Junkie Radio. “As soon as she pulled out of the fight it was like, ‘Alright, I guess I’ve got to stop thinking about her.’ I don’t know. If it does, it does. If it doesn’t, I don’t really care. It’s not night and day. Basically my approach is the same as far as what I’m going to do. There was a slight adjustment period and a psychological switch.”
Tracy Cortez has quietly put together six straight victories inside the Octagon, which includes her winning performance against Mariya Agapova on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in summer 2019. I think fans were too distracted by her relationship with UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega to notice, which has long since soured, as well as her medical drama that brought an end to her UFC Orlando fight against Amanda Ribas back in late 2022. Cortez returned for Noche UFC the following fall and scored a decision win over fellow “Contender Series” standout Jasmine Jasudavicius — a fight that had the betting lines about even.
Cortez will be a slight underdog when facing Namajunas.
“I want to say I’m a true 125er,” Cortez told MMA Junkie. “Sh*t, I could even fight at 135 but I’m a real flyweight and I don’t think she’s yet to face someone like myself, and vice versa. I’ve never faced a former world champion, so it’s putting both of us in a good test. I really want to fight for the belt. I know there’s a lot of people ahead of me still. I know winning this fight, where it could move me to. And the performance I put on Saturday, I know everything that comes with it.”
Cortez expressed her thoughts, saying, “It would be truly historic if I am given the chance to fight at the Sphere. Two Mexican women battling it out on Mexican Independence Day, in the grandest sporting event of all time. It’s a scenario I never even dreamed of, but it feels so close. That’s my ultimate aim. However, my overarching goal is to fight for the championship belt.”
I’m not convinced about Namajunas’ abilities at flyweight. Beating Ribas, who has a 4-4 record in her last eight fights, is not that impressive. Especially when you consider Namajunas’ performances against top fighters in the strawweight division like Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. However, it’s difficult for me to bet against Namajunas with her championship experience. She has faced formidable opponents throughout her career. In addition, Cortez is taking a five-round fight on short notice, and at altitude. Unless Namajunas unexpectedly falters and decides to take it easy in the cage, I believe she will dominate all five rounds and may even secure a late finish, depending on how the altitude affects Cortez.
Prediction: Namajunas def. Cortez by decision
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
Santiago “Argentine Dagger” Ponzinibbio
Record: 29-7 | Age: 37 | Betting line: -205
Wins: 16 KO/TKO, 6 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 4 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 3 DEC
Height: 6’0“ | Reach: 73” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.90 | Striking accuracy: 41%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.67 | Striking Defense: 61%
Takedown Average: 0.48 (30% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 60%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Knockout loss to Kevin Holland
Muslim “King of Kung Fu” Salikhov
Record: 19-5 | Age: 40 | Betting line: +170
Wins: 13 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 4 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 2 SUB, 1 DEC
Height: 5’11“ | Reach: 70” | Stance: Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.36 | Striking accuracy: 51%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 2.94 | Striking Defense: 62%
Takedown Average: 1.27 (40% accuracy) | Takedown Defense: 73%
Current Ranking: Unranked | Last fight: Knockout loss to Randy Brown
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when Santiago Ponzinibbio was consistently ranked in the Top 10 of the crowded welterweight division. By the time late 2018 rolled around, the “Argentine Dagger” had racked up seven straight wins, punctuated by a knockout finish over the typically-durable Neil Magny. It seemed like a matter of when — not if — Ponzinibbio was contending for the 170-pound title.
Then it all fell apart.
In the aftermath of his finish over “The Haitian Sensation,” Ponzinibbio dropped four of his next six, getting knocked out twice in the process and falling out of the official welterweight rankings (see them here). Part of that downward spiral included a series of medical setbacks, starting with an operation on his hand, continuing with coronavirus, and finishing with a bacterial infection that led to emergency surgery and a rather lengthy hospital stay.
It can also be said that the division became stronger.
“I feel great, and I have the abilities to beat the best in the division,” Ponzinibbio told MMA Junkie. “If I get in there, and I’m able to perform well without any health issues or problems like some of my previous fights, because due to different reasons I wasn’t able to perform at my best technically. I’ve won some recent fights with my heart but not with my technique. I think during this time off I was able to address a few issues, and I think people will see a new version of Santiago Ponzinibbio where I’ll perform 100 percent and show I’m capable of competing at a high level. So to tell you the truth, retirement is not something that crosses my mind.”
Ponzinibbio expressed his commitment to the fight, stating, “I plan to stick around for a while longer. Retirement is not on my radar.” He went on to share his focus on achieving victory in a remarkable manner during this co-main event bout and swiftly returning to continue his ascent in the division. Ponzinibbio firmly believes that if he can perform at his best, he has the ability to defeat any opponent in the 170-pound category. His confidence stems from his diligent training and consistent progress observed in the gym. Feeling content and assured, Ponzinibbio is grateful for this opportunity and believes he is currently in a positive state of mind.
Muslim Salikhov, a dominant force in the global arena, showcased his prowess with a remarkable 13-1 record, consisting of 10 knockouts and two submissions. After catching the attention of the promotion in late 2017, the renowned “King of Kung Fu” eagerly awaited his UFC debut against Alex Garcia. Unfortunately, his aspirations were dampened as he suffered a submission defeat in the second round. Undoubtedly, this was not the ideal beginning Salikhov had envisioned while striving for a place on the UFC roster.
Undaunted, Salikhov roared back to win his next five fights, securing a spot in the Top 15 of the official 170-pound rankings. Once again, an untimely loss — this time to Jingliang Li — would spoil his success and leave him in welterweight no man’s land. Salikhov followed up his loss to “The Leech” by dropping two of his next three and at 40 years old, it’s hard to feel optimistic about what the “King of Kung Fu” has to offer in 2024 and beyond.
The definite answer will be revealed in tomorrow night’s thrilling event.
Ponzinibbio has been a part of the UFC for over ten years, and it’s reasonable to assume that we have already witnessed his peak performance. The main question we must address in this discussion is whether his decline is comparable to or worse than Salikhov’s, considering both fighters are coming off devastating knockout losses. In my opinion, the outcome of this fight largely depends on Salikhov’s ability to effectively utilize his wrestling skills to frustrate Ponzinibbio. Ponzinibbio has a tendency to abandon his original strategy and resort to throwing wild punches in the latter half of his fights in hopes of securing a knockout. However, I believe Salikhov will prevent him from achieving this, resulting in a narrow victory for the “King of Kung Fu.”
Prediction: Salikhov def. Ponzinibbio by decision
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the UFC Denver main card predictions RIGHT HERE.
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FLYWEIGHT FIREWORKS! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Sat., July 13, 2024, for the first time since the historic 25th anniversary event in 2018 with a meaningful (albeit short-notice) showdown between top-ranked women’s Flyweight contenders Rose Namajunas (No. 6) vs. Tracy Cortez (No. 11). In UFC Denver’s co-main event, a thrilling Lightweight bout sees Denver’s own, Drew Dober, lock horns with Jean Silva, who is coming off a blistering knockout over Charles Jourdain just a few weeks ago (watch it).
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To check out the latest and greatest UFC Denver news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archives here and here. For the updated and finalized “Namajunas vs. Cortez” fight card and ESPN/ESPN+ line up click here.
