Preview: UFC on ESPN 59 ‘Namajunas vs. Cortez’

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday returns to Denver for the first time in nearly six years, and UFC on ESPN 59 follows what has become a familiar refrain. A lot of last-minute changes were required, but the company regrouped enough to put together a solid show at Ball Arena. As far as the main card goes, the central point of intrigue remains the headliner. Rose Namajunas was initially slated to serve as the next big test for top flyweight prospect Maycee Barber, but she instead faces short-notice replacement Tracy Cortez in a fight that still represents an interesting step up in competition for one of the flyweight division’s top rising talents. From there, the featured bouts are mostly matched for action, even if the co-main event between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov is probably more about what they have accomplished than what they can currently provide. Drew Dober and Jean Silva seem guaranteed to bring violence; hard-charging welterweight Gabriel Bonfim should make something happen; and a featherweight tilt pitting Julian Erosa against Christian Rodriguez figures to provide a torrid pace.

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