With Maycee Barber out due to injury, it appears Tracy Cortez has been given the nod to step in on short notice against Rose Namajunas in next month’s UFC Denver main event.
News of Barber dropping out of the bout was first reported by MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin on Tuesday, while MMA Fighting broke news of Cortez’s involvement in the fight. The UFC has yet to make an official announcement regarding the switch.
A number of women’s flyweight talents had offered their services, including Canada’s Jasmine Jasudavicius, who is already fighting on the Denver card, and Karine Silva. Ultimately, the promotion opted to go with Cortez, a bigger name and one #11 in the weight class, slightly higher than both Jasudavicius (#15) and Silva (#12).
Cortez (11-1) was last seen in action in September of 2023, where she earned a unanimous decision victory over Jasudavicius. She currently sits on an eleven-fight win streak, undefeated since her professional debut. Former strawweight champ Rose Namajunas, however, will unquestionably be her toughest test to date.
Tracy Cortez had been scheduled to face Miranda Maverick on July 20.
Namajunas (12-6) will enter the headlining affair at UFC Denver off a win over Amanda Ribas.
The UFC’s return to Denver, CO will take place on July 13, 2024 at the Bell Arena, with the following fights now expected for the event:
- Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez
- Mike Malott vs. Gilbert Urbina
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa
- Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage
- Viviane Araujo vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova
- Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski
- Marquel Mederos vs. Nazim Sadykhov
