Namajunas vs Cortez Prediction: Will Rose Become a Two Division Champion?

Will Rose Namajunas earn herself a title shot and eventually become a double champion? It all depends on her performance against Tracy Cortez this Saturday. Here is our Namajunas vs Cortez prediction.

Namajunas vs Cortez Prediction: Can Rose Break Through the Wrestling?

Rose Namajunas Preview

‘Thug' Rose may not have the most impressive record but she is one of the most successful female fighters in UFC history. Now a former two-time champion, she began her UFC career on The Ultimate Fighter, where she made it to the finals before losing to Carla Esparza.

However, her tenacious nature and drive to improve soon earned her the title, defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk by first-round knockout in 2017. Six months later, the athletes met in a rematch, and Rose won again, this time by decision.

In her next fight, Namajunas defended her belt against Jessica Andrade but lost in the 2nd round. The rivals met again a year later, and Rose took revenge, winning by split decision, which earned her a new title shot.

Next came a two-fight standoff with Weili Zhang. In the first fight, Rose knocked out the Chinese in the 1st round, returning the championship belt. In the second fight, ‘Thug' Rose defended her belt, defeating Weili by split decision.

In 2022, she met Carla Esparza in a rematch and lost to her again, losing her belt. She decided to change the weight class and stepped up to fight at Flyweight. She lost her debut fight against Manon Fiorot but dominated Amanda Ribas in March 2024, which pushed her to #6 in the division.

Winning on Saturday could help her break into the Top 5 but before we can give our Namajunas vs Cortez prediction, we have to analyze her opponent as well.

Tracy Cortez Preview

Tracy Cortez is a 30-year-old athlete from the United States. She has an impressive record of 11-1-0 ahead of this bout. Her only loss came in the very first fight of her career. Since then, Cortez has known no defeats, winning in various promotions, including the UFC.

In 2019, she made her UFC debut and since then has defeated all her opponents, including some considerable names. She is currently ranked #11 in the Women's Flyweight division and a win here could send her high up the rankings.

Stylistically, Tracy is most dangerous on the ground. She can perform takedowns from any position and prefers to act as the first number, putting pressure on her opponents and pinning them to the fence.

Although her striking technique is not as developed as Namajunas', Cortez knows how to keep opponents on edge and effectively combines strikes with wrestling. This will not be a one-sided clash and Tracy has her chances.

Our Rose Namajunas vs Tracy Cortez Prediction: Five Rounds of Action

Despite some recent setbacks, Rose continues to be one of the most dangerous and versatile fighters in the UFC. She has excellent striking skills, a powerful punch, and good footwork. On the ground, Namajunas can rely on her Brazilian jiu-jitsu, making her a dangerous opponent in any position.

It is hard not to bet in favor of ‘Thug' Rose with our Namajunas vs Cortez prediction. Tracy has a bright future in the promotion and she is already better than the vast majority. But Rose is not the type of fighter that will let her get too close. Moreover, Rose is used to fighting 5-round bouts and this will be the first such fight for her opponent.

Either way, we expect to see five rounds in this main event. Tracy Cortez has had 9 decisions in 12 professional matches. Rose Namajunas has had four decisions in a row since 2021. She is capable of both knockouts and submissions but it is improbable. Both will get paid well, so they might as well give us 25 minutes of action.