With just two weeks to prepare for a five round fight with Namajunas, Cortez says she didn’t have time to implement a solid game plan for their UFC Denver fight.
Tracy Cortez took a big risk accepting a last-minute fight against Rose Namajunas in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Denver. And while it didn’t end up paying off with a win, a lot of people were impressed with her grit and determination in the face of a vintage performance from the former strawweight champ Namajunas.
Cortez discussed the results of the fight in a post-event interview with Megan Olivi.
“I took [the fight] on two weeks notice unprepared, and I gave it all I had,” she said. “I know if I were to have a full camp, prepared — I mean, my cardio was there — I think I would’ve done a lot better with a good game plan. But I think I proved myself tonight that I can go five fives.”
25 minutes is championship time, and Cortez actually got better as the fight went on, winning the third round on all three judges’ scorecards.
“I was really trying to pace myself the first and second round,” Cortez said. “I just realized, you know what, this is ‘Give it all I have.’ It’s all or nothing. And I think I waited a little too long to really push it on her.”
She also said a toe injury hampered her ability to grapple like she wanted to against “Thug Rose.”
“No excuses,” she added. “I know it’s kinda hard for me to get up, but yeah. I was pretty upset that she took me down the way she did.”
The only thing the 30-year-old wants now is to get back into the cage as soon as possible.
“I wanna get right back in there,” she said. “You know, last time I [lost], I went on a killer streak and proved myself again. And I’m not here to prove [to] the world. I’m here to prove myself.”
Cortez just did the UFC a solid, and hopefully they’ll do one right back and book her for the big Mexican Independence Day card on September 14th. Considering reports of the main and co-main, the show could use some proper Mexican representation.