The UFC returns to Denver for the first time in six years on Saturday with a main card at Ball Arena featuring a main event between Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez.
A former strawweight champion, Namajunas (12-6) is seeking to climb the contender rankings in the flyweight division. The 32-year-old is coming off a unanimous decision win over Amanda Ribas in March after losing his divisional debut last fall.
Cortez (11-1) stepped in on short notice to replace Maycee Barber and will be fighting in her first main event. While Cortez boasts an 11-fight win streak and enters as the No. 6-ranked flyweight contender, Namajunas is big step up in competition for the graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Namajunas has a significant edge in experience and is understandably the -200 favorite. She has been backed by 72 percent of the money wagered on the fight, while Cortez has drawn 48 percent of the total bets at +165.
The main event is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Other Main Card Fights:
–Santiago Ponzinibbio (-185) vs. Muslim Salikhov (+170): Ponzinibbio, 37, returns to the Octagon for the first time since being stopped by Kevin Holland in the third round at UFC 287. Salikhov has lost three of his past four fights and is attempting to rebound after losing consecutive fights for the first time in his career. This is an important welterweight clash for both fighters.
–Drew Dober (-105) vs. Jean Silva (-115): Dober is coming off a February loss to Renato Moicano, while Silva stepped in for Mike Davis just two weeks after beating Charles Jourdain during International Fight Week. This matchup features the closest odds on the card, although Silva has been heavily backed with 74 percent of the total bets and 62 percent of the money.
–Gabriel Bonfim (-300) vs. Ange Loosa (+275): Loosa is another Contender Series graduate who will take on the Brazilian prospect Bonfim in a welterweight fight. After starting his UFC career 15-0, Bonfim lost his most recent fight to Nicolas Dalby in November. Loosa, meanwhile, had a fight against Bryan Battle stopped in the second round after he was poked in the eye. Bonfim is the biggest favorite on the card and has been backed by 71 percent of the money.
–Julian Erosa (+180) vs. Christian Rodriguez (-225): Rodriguez is another rising prospect who faces an interesting challenge in the 34-year-old veteran featherweight Erosa. Erosa’s past three fights have ended in the opening round, while Rodriguez is riding a streak of three consecutive victories over previously undefeated opponents.
–Field Level Media