For the first time in nearly six years, the UFC will be in the Mile High City with a UFC Fight Night card headlined by former two-time champion Rose Namajunas taking on surging prospect Tracy Cortez in the main event. The five-round battle of ranked flyweight contenders, which carries title-shot implications, will anchor the main UFC fight card (10 p.m. ET) from Ball Arena in Denver. The UFC hasn't been in Denver, the site of the first two events in the promotion's history, since November 2018. That Fight Night card had a memorable ending, with Yair Rodriguez stopping Chan Sung Jung with a spinning elbow at 4:59 in the fifth round of the matchup between veteran featherweight contenders. The winner of Saturday's main event will make a case for title-shot consideration in the top-heavy flyweight division.
Namajunas is a -250 favorite (risk $250 to win $100), while Cortez is priced at +205 (risk $100 to win $205) in the latest UFC Fight Night odds. In the co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio (-190) takes on Muslim Salikhov (+160) in a matchup of welterweight sluggers. Before locking in any UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Cortez picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport's nuances.
Vithlani made his SportsLine debut in January 2023 and swept the main card for UFC 283 with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. Over the past 13 UFC pay-per-view events, Vithlani has gone 10-6 on main-event picks and his main-card selections in that span have netted his followers a profit of more than $1,200.
His highlights include predicting an upset for Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Poirier (+190) against Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Cortez on deck, Vithlani has studied the card from top to bottom and released his top selections. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Cortez preview
Namajunas (12-6) is a nine-year UFC veteran who has evolved into a fan favorite because of her accomplishments inside of the cage and her mentality away from it. She has been praised for her outward vulnerability and willingness to address concerns such as mental-health awareness, her desire to have an identity away from fighting, and she has had a full-length documentary made about her life.
In the octagon, she is known for her striking and relentless pressure. She's also noted for exceeding what had been modest expectations when she joined the UFC. The 32-year-old's resume includes two wins each over Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili, the current strawweight champion who is widely considered the best active female fighter in the UFC today.
Even so, she has faced some adversity. She lost the title at UFC 274 in May 2022 to Carla Esparza in a listless encounter that is generally regarded as the worst title fight in the promotion's history. Moreover, her debut at flyweight resulted in a unanimous decision loss to prospect Manon Fiorot.
She faces another hungry prospect in Cortez (11-1), who has made an impression with her striking skills, pressure and fearlessness since joining the promotion following an appearance on "Dana White's Contender Series." The 30-year-old Phoenix native is coming off a decision win against fellow prospect Jasmine Jasudavicius but faces a major step forward in competition Saturday in her headlining debut. You can only see who to back at UFC Fight Night here.
Top UFC Fight Night picks
We'll share one of Vithlani's UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is backing Christian Rodriguez (-205) to get his hand raised against Julian Erosa (+170)
Rodriguez (11-1) is a versatile prospect who lost his UFC debut but has since reeled off four consecutive victories against notable competition. The 26-year-old Wisconsin native is best known for defeating ultra-hyped prospect Raul Rosas Jr., and he also has a victory over celebrated prospect Cameron Saaiman.
Erosa (29-11) is a six-year UFC veteran who was once released by the UFC following three consecutive losses to start his stint with the promotion. He was later invited back and has gone 7-3 since behind a developed skill set and a reputation for action-packed fights. The 34-year-old Seattle native notched a second-round submission of Ricardo Ramos in March.
"Rodriguez is a crafty grappler who can pull off slick reversals and threaten submissions from a variety of positions. Erosa is a dangerous fighter, but he leaves himself open for damage too often," Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Namajunas vs. Cortez and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter whose veteran poise and octagon control" will lead to a huge victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. Cortez, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks in 2023, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Rose Namajunas (-240) vs. Tracy Cortez (+200)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (-190) vs. Muslim Salikhov (+160)
Drew Dober (-115) vs. Jean Silva (-105)
Gabriel Bonfim (-340) vs. Ange Loosa (+270)
Christian Rodriguez (-205) vs. Julian Erosa (+170)
Abdul Razak Alhassan (-160) vs. Cody Brundage (+135)
Joshua Van (-195) vs. Charles Johnson (+165)
Jasmine Jasdavicius (+105) vs. Fatima Kline (-125)
Montel Jackson (-155) vs. Da'Mon Blackshear (+130)
Andre Petroski (-110) vs. Josh Fremd (-110)
Luana Santos (-370) vs. Mariya Agapova (+280)
