Miranda Maverick plans to prove she is more worthy of a spot 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’s official rankings, while Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) holds the No. 11 position at the entering 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 her past five fights dating back to March 2022, while Cortez has fought just twice in that same stretch. While Cortez is undefeated in the octagon, she has not competed more than once in a calendar year since 2019.
However, 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 beautiful girl on Instagram and everything else. And I think that’s why she’s still ranked to begin with. She’s a very inactive fighter, hasn’t really fought anyone ranked yet, and she’s still been ranked for a long time. I wouldn’t hesitate to fight her, she still remains in the top twelve and I myself am bumped to number 13 or number 12.”
Despite her thoughts on Cortez, there’s no denying that this is a rewarding match for Maverick. She will have a chance to fight her way up and gain more fame against an opponent with a solid fan base and following.
At 26 years old, Maverick is confident that her skills are still in good shape and that all her best days are yet to come. She takes the sport very seriously and says she makes sacrifices every day to ultimately complete her UFC championship mission, and Maverick hopes this fight will be a pivotal step in her career.
“I think my stakes go up a little bit in that top 10,” Maverick said. “Hopefully I can become one of those (title) candidates within the next two years.”
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
