Miranda Maverick intends to prove that she is more worthy of a place in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings than Tracy Cortez when the pair meet this summer.
Maverick (13-5 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is currently outside the top 15 at 125 pounds in the UFC official rankingswith Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) ranked 11th heading into UFC Fight Night on July 20 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
On paper, it’s difficult for Maverick to understand the gap in positioning. Maverick has won four of his last five fights since March 2022, while Cortez has fought just twice in the same period. Cortez may be undefeated in the Octagon, but she hasn’t competed more than once in a year since 2019.
Maverick knows there’s a lot more to the fight game than just comparing resumes, and she thinks that’s why Cortez is in her current position.
“I think politics has a lot to do with fighting,” Maverick told MMA Junkie Radio. “She’s that pretty girl on Instagram and everything. And I think that’s why she’s still ranked to begin with. She’s a very inactive fighter, she hasn’t fought anyone ranked and she’s still been ranked for a long time. I would have no doubts if I fought her, she still remains in the top 12 and I myself was taken to 13th or 12th place.
Despite your thoughts on Cortez, there’s no denying this is a rewarding matchup for Maverick. She is getting a chance to fight her way up and build more notoriety against an opponent with a solid fan base and following.
At 26 years old, Maverick is confident that his skill set is still in shape and that all of his best days are yet to come. She takes the sport very seriously and said she is making daily sacrifices to eventually complete her UFC title quest, and Maverick hopes this fight serves as a crucial step on her professional path.
“I think my bets are going up on the top 10,” Maverick said. “I hope that in the next two years I can become one of those candidates (for the title).”
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