'She's at her best when she feels victimized'… UFC legends break down Rose Namajunas vs Tracy Cortez in Denver
12/07/2024 14:05
This weekend's UFC Fight Night event is headlined by a women's flyweight fight that could have major implications for the 125lb title picture.
As the UFC returns to Colorado for the first time since 2018, fans are counting down to what should be a fascinating chess match in the main event of the evening between 'Thug' Rose Namajunas and surging contender Tracy Cortez.
Chael Sonnen backs Rose Namajunas to put on a show in Colorado
Cortez rides into UFC Denver on an impressive 11-fight winning streak, with former strawweight champion Namajunas bouncing back from a frustrating decision loss to Manon Fiorot with a UD win of her own over Amanda Ribas earlier this year – but who'll get their hand raised at the Bell Arena this weekend?
On the latest episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy, MMA icons Chael Sonnen and Daniel Cormier discussed the upcoming UFC Denver main event, with Sonnen specifically noting that he's seeing an unruly fire behind Namajunas' eyes; or rather, words.
"Rose, I just spoke to her, if there's one thing about 'Thug' Rose even when I hear her own voice, even when I hear her talking – she does not like changes.
"She is not into Maycee Barber coming out and Tracy Cortez coming in," with Barber having withdrawn from the bout due to ongoing health issues only in late June and Cortez stepping in on less than three weeks' notice.
"I could go over the history of her entire career where she does not like that turn, where she feels it's against her. And you know what, if I did that very thing, I wouldn't [be able to] show you a single time that she lost.
"She does her best work when she hates these situations, she does her best work when she feels that she's up against it, she does her best work when she thinks they’re trying to dismiss her, count her out and get her out of there."
Sonnen argued that Namajunas tends to shine brightest when factors outside of her control force her hand, and that the motivation to get hers raised in such fluctuating circumstances has proved vital in her biggest wins in the octagon.
"That's how she won the world championship the first time over Weili Zhang, that's how she came back at Madison Square Garden in a rematch against Weili in a fight that she was losing.
"She is at her best when she feels victimized and she's upset about this, it's not what she initially agreed to, and I think she's going to perform very well because of it."
Daniel Cormier argues there's more on the line for Cortez
Whilst Daniel Cormier agreed with the sentiment expressed by his ESPN show co-host, the former two-division champion also argued that the short-notice nature of Cortez's stepping up could have major implications for the 125lb title picture.
"I believe that this fight is very important considering those added stipulations – any time that there's a stipulation on a fight, I'm all in.
"I believe that Tracy Cortez saying, 'I'll turn right around and go and fight on Mexican Independence Day' – she is really going all in on 'This is my chance to earn an opportunity to fight for a world title'."
This is in reference to Cortez believing that Valentina Shevchenko doesn't actually want to fight champion Alexa Grasso at The Sphere for UFC 306; and that an underdog win in Denver could land her a surprise shot at the flyweight belt.
"I think it's great, I think it works, I think it's going to be a phenomenal fight. But I can't say that this fight is better than Maycee Barber because Maycee Barber has so much momentum going [her way] right now but Tracy Cortez has fought really well.
"She has a great story; we all know how special Rose Namajunas is so this fight night from Denver is going to be phenomenal."
Namajunas vs Cortez headlines UFC Fight Night Denver, live from the Ball Arena on Saturday, July 13.
