Rose Namajunas proved to be too slick and technical for Tracy Cortez tonight in the main event of UFC On ESPN 59 both on the feet and on the mat to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One
The flyweight main event is underway in Denver.
Inside calf kick from Namajunas after Cortez misses one. Another calf kick for Namajunas. Inside leg kick for Cortez. Right hand gets through for Namajunas. Back to the calf kick now.
Namajunas starting to work her jab. Solid left hook from Namajunas drops Cortez!
Namajunas goes down into Cortez’s guard in the center of the Octagon. Namajunas opts to back out and get back to striking on the feet instead.
Namajunas sits down on a right hand. Cortez fires back with a few punches as she tries to get some respect. Clinical jab for Namajunas. Overhand right now grazes the target. Head kick attempt from Cortez. Low kick for her as Namajunas seeks out punching opportunities.
Right hand gets through for Cortez. Low kick for Cortez and one in response from Namajunas. Right hand for Namajunas. Now a calf kick.
Round Two:
Calf kick for Namajunas. Sneaky jab for her and then a low kick again. Another jab connects. Cortez fakes a takedown.
Missed superman punch from Cortez. Cortez presses forward, but Namajunas steps back and lands a quick counter.
Cortez with a calf kick. Leg kick for Namajunas. Glancing left hooks from Namajunas. Now a calf kick.
Head kick from Namajunas got partially through, but Cortez seems ok.
Cortez ducks into a nice takedown attempt and gets Namajunas to her knees. Cortez looking for a guillotine. Namajunas back up and Cortez still trying to work that submission, but ‘Thug’ backs away to striking range.
Straight right for Namajunas. Side kick to the body for Namajunas.
Jumping knee attempt from Namajunas. Now a leg kick. Namajunas with a nice takedown in the center of the Octagon as they approach the final 10 seconds of the round.
Round Three:
Right hand for Namajunas but Cortez fires back with a series of punches. Into the clinch they battle for a moment.
Cortez trying to step up her aggression, but Namajunas neutralizes that by landing a good takedown. Namajunas right into full mount here.
Namajunas being patient from this dominant position. Cortez does a good job of wall-walking out of that, but Namajunas stays on her. Cortez back to her feet and manages to reverse the clinch position. Not for long though and Namajunas stuffs a Cortez takedown attempt before bringing her back down instead and then moving into full mount again.
Cortez wall-walks again, but this time Namajunas hops onto her back. She’s at risk of slipping off, but Namajunas does well to ride it and then force Cortez down.
Namajunas almost moves to half-guard now, but Cortez gets back to her feet and Namajunas backs off.
Front kick to the face late in the round from Namajunas.
Round Four:
Cortez trying to let her strikes go and goes for a head kick, but then Namajunas clinches up.
Back to striking range. Missed head kick attempt from Namajunas. left hand for her as Cortez presses forward. Nice stick from Namajunas on the jab. She lands another while avoiding punches from Cortez.
Calf kick from Namajunas. She gets a takedown and then works around to the back. Cortez stands but Namajunas is still on her pressing her into the cage.
Nice left hand from Namajunas on the counter. Cortez struggling to find her range against the elusive Namajunas.
Cortez manages to land a takedown, but Namajunas is quickly back to her feet. Cortez keeps her in the clinch against the cage though as the round comes to a close.
Round Five:
Both ladies looking to exchange strikes early in the fifth. Cortez trying to turn this into a brawl as she gets into close range and let her hands go.
Namajunas still wants to be the technician instead though. Cortez gets the clinch and drives her into the cage. Namajunas manages to reverse the position.
Back to striking range. Namajunas slides out of range from Cortez’s strikes. Well timed right hand for Namajunas and then works into the clinch against the cage.
Namajunas backs off. Glancing punch for her. Another takedown for Namajunas. Cortez straight back up but now finds herself being pressed up against the cage.
Namajunas backs up. Cortez motions to the middle of the cage. She wants to scrap, but Namajunas is not having it and so Cortez smiles and gives her a fist bump.
A couple of push kicks from Namajunas. Cortez with a brief series of punches. Right hand for Cortez. She tries for an uppercut. Namajunas with a few clean punches.
Cortez takes a deep breath and then tries to go on the attack. They end up in the clinch though in the final few seconds of the fight.
Decision:/h4>
Namajunas dropped Cortez in the opening round but to her credit Cortez would end up making it all the way until the final bell of this five-rounder. That being said it was a comfortable night’s work for ‘Thug’ Rose who emerges with a unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47).
