A flyweight fight between Tracy Cortez and Justine Kish is being targeted for a UFC event in April.
Tracy Cortez is making the move back down to flyweight from bantamweight for her next UFC appearance. First reported by MMA Junkie and later confirmed by Cortez on social media, a fight between her and Justine Kish is being planned for an upcoming event set to take place on April 17.
Cortez earned her shot in the UFC following a contract-awarded performance against Mariya Agapova on an episode of Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2019. Despite competing in the flyweight division for that fight opposite of Agapova, Cortez would make her promotional debut in the bantamweight division at UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Jacare. She went on defeat Vanessa Melo by unanimous decision.
Cortez returned to the Octagon in October 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen, where she met Stephanie Egger and earned another unanimous decision win.
Kish will be looking to get back in the win column after losing to Sabina Mazo by way of rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night: Waterson vs. Hill in September 2020. Prior to the loss, the Ultimate Fighter alum bested Lucie Pudilova by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Dos Santos.
This was the first win in two years for Kish, who spent that time away dealing with an injury to her right knee that required multiple surgeries.
The April event is expected to be headlined by a middleweight fight between former champion Robert Whittaker and former title challenger Paulo Costa. The location and venue of the event has yet to be determined.
Other confirmed fights currently scheduled for the card are a middleweight pairing between Gerald Meerschaert and Bartosz Fabinski as well as a heavyweight matchup between Chase Sherman and Parker Porter. More fights are due to be added to the card in the next couple of weeks.