UFC Denver is getting a big time women’s flyweight matchup for it’s main event. Ariel Helwani first reported yesterday on The MMA Hour that former strawweight champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas (12-6) will be taking on top contender Maycee Barber (14-2) in a five-round main event.
UFC Denver goes down on July 13th. Starting with Barber, she will be looking for her seventh straight win which would guarantee her a shot at the flyweight title. After starting her career in the octagon with three straight knockout wins, Barber suffered back-to-back losses.
From there, she’s won six fights in a row. Most recently, she took on former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara. She won that fight by decision and that was after stopping Amanda Ribas in the second round. Now, she’ll get a crack at Namajunas and with a win, she should be getting a UFC title shot.
UFC Denver
Back in 2022, Rose Namajunas lost her flyweight title to Carla Esparza in a very lackluster fight. After she lost the title, she wasn’t sure whether she would ever fight again. However, after some time away, she made her return last September when she moved up to flyweight to take on Manon Fiorot.
Namajunas lost by decision but that didn’t deter her away from fighting. She returned in March and defeated a very game Amanda Ribas by decision. Now, she turns her attention to the top of the flyweight division once again. Should Namajunas get a win over Barbers, she’ll be on the shortlist of contenders vying for a UFC flyweight title shot.