2024-07-13 17:10:02
Tracy Cortez made weight for her UFC main event in an unusual way.
Needing to lose roughly half a pound in order to get down to 126lbs for her flyweight bout against Rose Namajunas, Cortez cut off a fistful of her hair.
That did the trick, as she officially weighed in at 126lbs on the dot Friday. Cortez then posed for the cameras, clipped hair in hand.
Cortez, 30, and her new bob will face Namajunas in the headliner Saturday night in Denver. Namajunas was originally slated to fight Maycee Barber, but Barber withdrew due to ongoing health issues.
“What was it, .5 (pounds)?” she told ESPN afterward. “I was like, ‘No hesitation. We’ll do whatever it takes. This is a big opportunity.’”
Cortez is 11-1 in her MMA career with 11 straight wins. Namajunas (12-6), though, is the betting favorite at minus-200.
The UFC returns to Denver for the first time in six years with a card at Ball Arena featuring a main event between Namajunas and Cortez.
A former strawweight champion, Namajunas 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.
