Namajunas defeats Cortez in UFC Denver main event

Women's flyweight Rose Namajunas defeated Tracy Cortez via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) in the main event of UFC Denver on Saturday.

Namajunas - who fights out of Denver - dominated the bout from start to finish and sat Cortez down with a jab two minutes into the duel. She looked particularly solid through the first three rounds, putting Cortez in need of a finish in the championship rounds for the first time in her UFC career.

Cortez tried to be more aggressive later in the event but wasn't able to land significant strikes.

It's the first loss of Cortez's UFC career. The 30-year-old entered Saturday with a 5-0 record after making her debut in the promotion in 2019. Cortez stepped in to fight Namajunas after Maycee Barber withdrew due to health reasons.

Namajunas entered the bout as the sixth-ranked fighter in the women's flyweight division, while Cortez came in at No. 11.

A former two-time strawweight champ, Namajunas lost her flyweight debut back in September 2023 but has now won back-to-back fights in the division. She also beat Amanda Ribas by unanimous decision in March.

"Give me the belt, I want it," Namajunas said when asked what's next for her after Saturday's triumph.