The upcoming UFC Denver card took an unexpected turn as one of the fighters headlining the event was replaced over the week. In a surprising twist, UFC fighter Maycee Barber was forced to drop out of the fight for undisclosed reasons, paving the way for upcoming fighter Tracy Cortez to step into the spotlight.
Cortez [6-0 UFC] was scheduled to battle Miranda Maverick at UFC Fight Night, but due to this turn of events, she will be facing Namajunas a week earlier. The bout will be a chance for Cortez to face the former strawweight champion Namjunas [10-5 UFC], who has proven herself to be a formidable opponent. Cortez has had a notable career since her UFC debut. The athlete has faced formidable rivals and triumphed over opponents like Canadian Jasmine Jasadavicius, Melissa Gatto, and Erin Blanchfield. However, none of these prior bouts are a match for her upcoming battle with Rose.
The 30-year-old also had quite the career and is currently ranked 11th in the flyweight division. However, her opponent, Namajunas, has been fighting for over a decade and is also a two-time strawweight champion. The ‘Thug’ is ranked No. 7 in pound-for-pound women’s fighter and No. 6 flyweight division, albeit only fighting in the weight class twice. She lost her title to Carla Esparza and had a consecutive loss to Manon Fiorot, but she finally got a win after defeating Amanda Ribas.
UFC Denver will take place on July 13 at The Ball Arena in Denver. It will be Cortez’s first UFC headline bout.
