The UFC extravaganza reached Denver, Colorado on Saturday for an epic WMMA main event featuring the fan-favorite ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas and undefeated prospect Tracy Cortez. The two-time strawweight champion moved to flyweight in 2023 after losing the 115-lb belt in May 2022 to Carla Esparza, and thanks to Saturday’s decision win against Cortez, Namajunas is coming home with a fat paycheck.
Reports reveal that the former champ’s earnings are somewhere around the $225,000 mark given that her last bout against the French fighter, Manon Fiorot got her the same amount.
However, we do expect a bump in her salary, now that she is the #6 ranked fighter in the division and the decision win will certainly have her excited for what’s to come. As for her opponent, Cortez, the #11 ranked contender will most likely go home with a $85,000 cheque along with a pinch of disappointment.
Initially, Rose was scheduled to fight fellow American Maycee Barber but the 26-year-old pulled out of the bout due to an untimely illness. This opened the door for Cortez to step in and fight Namajunas on short notice, earning the 30-year-old the biggest paycheck of her career despite the decision loss.
This dominant win also put Namajunas in the title picture, as she is now aiming for the flyweight gold.
Namajunas eyes the flyweight gold following the stellar win in Denver
49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 read out the announcer before declaring the winner in Saturday’s Denver showdown. Namajunas is now 2-1 in her flyweight run, losing only to Fiorot. Her technical brilliance was on full display as the two-time former strawweight champion took one step closer to a possible shot at the flyweight gold.
Women's BMF? Flyweight gold?
What do you think is next for @RoseNamajunas? #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/n3hSAor9ez
— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2024
Namajunas’ experience and her well-rounded game proved too much for Cortez who essentially had no answer to her crisp and clinical boxing. Piecing up Cortez early, she put the pedal to the metal with frequent takedowns to march her way into victory. In fact, she crushed Tracy to a decision loss and snapped her 11-fight win streak in just 25 minutes.
Despite Cortez’s late rally attempts, Namajunas looked unbeatable on Saturday. Following the win, she even expressed her desire for a massive fight – a title bout or maybe a women’s BMF title fight.
