Former UFC women's flyweight champion Rose Namajunas returns to the octagon to battle late stand-in Tracy Cortez at UFC on ESPN 59. Namajunas is a -235 favorite over Cortez who comes back at +180 odds on the moneyline.
Let's take a look at all the updated Namajunas vs. Cortez odds and our best bets for the UFC on ESPN 59 main event.
Namajunas vs Cortez Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Rose Namajunas | -235 |
| Tracy Cortez | +185 |
Odds as of July 9
Our odds calculator suggests Namajunas -235 odds imply a 70.15% chance of victory, with a $100 bet paying out $142.55. At +180, Belal gets a 35.71% chance and a $100 bet cashes $280.
How Namajunas Wins
Rose "Thug" Namajunas comes into this bout looking to climb the flyweight rankings after losing two of her last three fights.
She's finished seven fights in her career. However, her last victory that didn't go the distance came all the way back in 2021, when she knocked out Weili Zhang with a ferocious head kick.
She's primarily won on volume throughout her career, with a sparking 3.69 significant strikes landed per minute. Rose will look to push the pace and wear Cortez down throughout UFC on ESPN 59's main event.
How Cortez Wins
Tracy Cortez has been nothing but dominant since losing her first professional bout. She enters this scrap on an 11-fight winning streak, looking to make a name for herself in the women's flyweight division.
She's 5-0 in the UFC and coming off an impressive unanimous decision victory over Jasmine Jasudavcious in September.
She's an adept wrestler, with at least two takedowns in each of her first four UFC wins. Cortez will need to take Namajunas to the ground and aim to control the pace of this bout to win. She's only finished two of her 11 victories, so the chances of her stopping Rose are slim.
Namajunas vs Cortez Betting Pick
Cortez is stepping in as a late notice replacement for Maycee Barber in the UFC on ESPN 59 main event. She accepted the bout just three weeks ago, and will be in tough against the always game Namajunas.
I believe Rose's experience and guile come to the fore the longer this fight progresses. She's by far the more accomplished fighter. Namajunas will be disappointed to miss out on what was shaping up to be a number one contender's bout with Barber. However, "Thug" will show that she still has more than enough in the tank to remain in the upper echelon of the sport on Saturday night. Look for Namajunas to control the pace and win this bout on points.
