Tag: Tracy Cortez

‘Rose Is Not That Fighter’ – Tracy Cortez Warned That Short-Notice Scrap Against Namajunas Is Bad Decision

Tracy Cortez is set for a significant step up in competition this weekend when she takes on Rose Namajunas in the main event when the UFC rolls into Denver, Colorado on Saturday night. Cortez, who is riding an eleven-fight winning streak into this bout, was initially scheduled to face Miranda Maverick a week later in […]

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Tracy Cortez is set for a significant step up in competition this weekend when she takes on Rose Namajunas in the main event when the UFC rolls into Denver, Colorado on Saturday night.

Cortez, who is riding an eleven-fight winning streak into this bout, was initially scheduled to face Miranda Maverick a week later in Las Vegas but when Namajunas lost her original opponent Maycee Barber to injury, the opportunity of a headline slot opposite a former champion was one that Cortez couldn’t turn down.

30-year-old Cortez has won all five of her fights inside the Octagon since signing with the UFC back in 2019 off the back of a win over Mariya Agapova on Dana White’s Contender Series. While she is on an impressive winning streak, this will be the first time she faces an opponent ranked inside the top ten in the UFC’s featherweight division.

Speaking on his podcast Weighing In this week, Josh Thomson was asked by his co-host on “Big” John McCarthy if he thinks taking this fight was a good decision by Tracy Cortez.

“I don’t think it’s a good fight for her” said the former UFC welterweight. “No disrespect to her, I don’t think that…after her last fight against (Jasmine) Jasudavicius or whatever her name is…I think what I saw in that fight was in the later rounds like two-and-a-half/three rounds she started to slow down to the point where…Rose is not that fighter”.

‘She Will Not Slow Down’ – Josh Thomson on Namajunas

“Thug” Rose won the UFC strawweight championship in 2017 by knocking out long-time champion Joanna J?drzejczyk and during her UFC career has won four five-round main events by unanimous decision. Thomson believes that experience of the championship rounds should make the difference come Saturday night.

“Rose has been in plenty of five round fights, she’s trained for five round fights” Thomson continued. “She will not slow down in rounds three and four”.

Thomson also believes that Cortez may be a little out of her depth when she tries to strike with the former UFC strawweight champion.  

“She’s got the power to make Rose respect her, I just don’t know if she knows how to get in on the reach. Like she slid in on the Jasudavicius girl with those straight rights then follow up with the left hook, but Rose is a different level of striking”.

Read More: UFC Fight Night Denver Headliner Tracy Cortez Envisions ‘Surpassing’ Ronda Rousey: ‘I Say This Humbly…’

Continue Reading ‘Rose Is Not That Fighter’ – Tracy Cortez Warned That Short-Notice Scrap Against Namajunas Is Bad Decision at MMA News.

UFC Denver headliner Tracy Cortez hopes to one day surpass the legacy of MMA icon Ronda Rousey

UFC Denver headliner Tracy Cortez hopes to one day surpass the legacy of MMA icon Ronda RouseyTracy Cortez hopes to one day surpass the legacy left behind by Ronda Rousey. On Saturday night, the Phoenix…

UFC Denver headliner Tracy Cortez hopes to one day surpass the legacy of MMA icon Ronda Rousey

Tracy Cortez hopes to one day surpass the legacy left behind by Ronda Rousey.

On Saturday night, the Phoenix native will have a chance to take a big step in that direction when she steps in on short notice for a scrap with former two-time strawweight world champion ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas.

Tracy Cortez

Originally, Namajunas was scheduled the headline the UFC’s return to Denver against rising star Maycee Barber in a fight that feels like it’s been years in the making. Unfortunately, ‘The Future’ was forced to bow out of the bout due to an illness, paving the way for Cortez to step in and shoot her shot against one of the UFC’s most beloved female fighters.

Ahead of her return to the Octagon this weekend, Cortez spoke with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, discussing her upcoming clash and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Specifically asked about women’s MMA icon Ronda Rousey, Cortez has the utmost respect for ‘Rowdy,’ but made it clear that her goal is to one day surpass the accomplishments of the UFC’s first-ever female champion.

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“I’m very grateful for the way Ronda paved the way for women’s MMA,” Cortez said. “No one has done it like she has, but I say this humbly; I hope to surpass that. She set a goal and I think as competitors, we keep wanting to overstep these goals and [outdoing] what our heroes did.

“I saw the way she moved and [I keep] finessing, tweaking, and making it my own and hoping to surpass what she’s done.”

Tracy Cortez could thrust herself into title contention with an upset against ‘thug’ rose

Cortez is off to a pretty good start, going 11-1 in his mixed martial arts career, including a solid 5-0 run under the UFC banner, earning wins over the likes of Justin Kish, Melissa Gatto, and Jasmine Jasudavicius.

Tracy Cortez

As it stands, Cortez is sitting in the No. 11 spot in the women’s flyweight rankings. If she can bag an upset against Namajunas in her first UFC headliner, she’ll thrust herself into the top 10 and likely just outside the top five. Of course, getting a win over ‘Thug’ is much easier said than done.

After coming up short in her flyweight debut against Manon Fiorot, Namajumas bounced back with a solid showing against Amanda Ribas, immediately putting her into the 125-pound title picture.

Rose Namajunas

UFC star Tracy Cortez clarifies her relationship with Paulo Costa following viral photo

Tracy CortezDespite being on the shelf for more than a year, Tracy Cortez was a hot topic among MMA fans after her highly-publicized relationship with featherweight standout Brian Ortega came to an end. Cortez returned to the Octagon at Noche UFC, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius, but prior to her successful return, […]

Tracy Cortez

Despite being on the shelf for more than a year, Tracy Cortez was a hot topic among MMA fans after her highly-publicized relationship with featherweight standout Brian Ortega came to an end.

Cortez returned to the Octagon at Noche UFC, earning a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius, but prior to her successful return, Cortez was the topic of much discussion after rumors ran rampant that the Phoenix-born beauty had found a new beau in one-time middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa.

In June, ‘The Eraser’ shared an image on X (formerly Twitter) of himself with Tracy Cortez. It was a relatively innocent picture, but considering Cortez’s relationship with Ortega had just ended, fans were quick to speculate that Cortez and Costa were now an item.

Tracy Cortez Was Happy to Let Fans Run Wild Theories

Speaking with Andrew Whitelaw in a Sportskeeda MMA exclusive interview, Tracy Cortez confirmed that she got a kick out of all the speculation online and decided to let it ride. In the end, it was nothing more than an innocent picture with a good friend.

“Again, I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what it is. But, for some reason, I can’t take a photo with anybody because people will just run with whatever image they have in their head,” Cortez said. “But, I did, I had a good laugh at it. Him [Paulo Costa] and his wife, or fiancee, video-chatted me…They called me…I was like, ‘Man, you know what?’ I said, ‘I don’t care. Run with it. It’s funny. It’s bringing people in. Do what you gotta do. But, just let’s clear the air once everything settles…It was literally just a picture.’”

Cortez’s win over the weekend moved her to 5-0 inside the Octagon and 11-1 overall. Despite her impressive run thus far, Cortez’s appearances have been few and far between with the flyweight only competing twice in the last two and a half years.

As for Paulo Costa, the top-10 middleweight contender will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon next month when the promotion heads to Abu Dhabi for UFC 294. ‘The Eraser’ will attempt to stop the momentum of undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev in what could very well become a title eliminator.

Tracy Cortez scores unanimous decision in exciting scrap with Jasmine Jasudavicius – Noche UFC Highlights

Tracy CortezTracy Cortez remained undefeated inside the Octagon at Noche UFC, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius. Both women landed some solid strikes in the opening minutes, but Cortez began to let her hands go near the halfway point of the first round, scoring some solid combinations, including a big right hand that snapped […]

Tracy Cortez

Tracy Cortez remained undefeated inside the Octagon at Noche UFC, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius.

Both women landed some solid strikes in the opening minutes, but Cortez began to let her hands go near the halfway point of the first round, scoring some solid combinations, including a big right hand that snapped Jasudavicius’ head back. Tired of being a punching bag, Jasudavicius attempted to shoot in for a takedown with 90 seconds to go, but Cortez defended perfectly. A minute later, Jasudavicius closed the distance and landed some solid knees in the clinch, but Cortez was again able to defend and separate to close the round.

Tracy Cortez picked up right where she left off in the second round, counter-striking as Jasudavicius attempted to pressure Cortez against the fence. Halfway through the second, Jasudavicius secured her first takedown of the fight, but Cortez was able to work her way back up. Switching to a double leg, Jasudavicius dragged Cortez back down, but it wasn’t long before Cortez again fought her way upright and finished the round on her feet.

With the bout potentially even, Jasudavicius appeared to be much more confident in the third, closing the distance early and backing Cortez up against the fence. Able to once again defend the takedown, Cortez freed herself from the grip of Jasudavicius and escaped. Jasudavicius remained relentless, putting a ton of pressure on Cortez. With just over a minute left, Jasudavicius landed a nice knee up the middle followed by a glancing head kick.

Things got a little chippy between both women as the clock ran down, closing a fantastic three-round war between two of the flyweight division’s most promising prospects.

Official Result: Tracy Cortez def. Jasmin Jasudavicius via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Check Out Highlights From Tracy Cortez vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius at Noche UFC Below:

UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez shows off new form-Fitting fight kit ahead of Octagon return

Tracy CortezWhen Tracy Cortez makes her way to the Octagon for Noche UFC on Saturday night, she’ll do so sporting some fresh and very form-fitting gear courtesy of her employer. Tracy Cortez, who currently carries an undefeated record under the UFC banner, will return after more than a year on the shelf clash with division standout […]

Tracy Cortez

When Tracy Cortez makes her way to the Octagon for Noche UFC on Saturday night, she’ll do so sporting some fresh and very form-fitting gear courtesy of her employer.

Tracy Cortez, who currently carries an undefeated record under the UFC banner, will return after more than a year on the shelf clash with division standout Jasmine Jasudavicius. Ahead of her eagerly-awaited return to action, Cortez was spotted via a video clip shared by ESPN MMA on X showing off the new UFC fight kits courtesy of its partnership with Venum.

Fight fans online were very enthusiastic about the new fight kits, though we suspect that it had more to do with who was modeling them than the design itself.

Tracy Cortez Looks to Make it Five Straight Inside the Octagon

Tracy Cortez has emerged as a fan favorite in recent years despite her fights being few and far between. After scoring a unanimous decision victory against Mariya Agapova on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019, Cortez has only fought four times, earning wins against Vanessa Melo, Stephanie Egger, Justine Kish, and Melissa Gatto. Her last victory came in May 2022. Prior to that, she had not competed since April 2021. Cortez currently sits in the No. 14 spot on the flyweight rankings.

Hoping to hand Tracy Cortez her first loss inside the Octagon will be Jasmine Jasudavicius. Ready to break into the flyweight division’s top 15, Jasudavicius goes into the contest riding a two-fight win streak, scoring victories over Gabriella Fernandes and Miranda Maverick. Thus far she is 3-1 in the UFC, her lone loss coming against Natália Silva last year.

Both women will certainly have their eye on the main event of the evening as the women’s flyweight title is up for grabs in a rematch between reigning world champion Alexa Grasso and division staple Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso scored a stunning fourth-round submission over ‘Bullet’ at UFC 285 to capture her first piece of UFC gold. Now she’s ready to prove to the world that her win was no fluke.

Noche UFC will air live starting at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN+ in the United States.

Video: Fan Goads Brian Ortega About Tracy Cortez Relationship After UFC 306 Loss

Brian Ortega recently became embroiled in a fiery altercation with a fan who hurled comments at him about ex-girlfriend, Tracy Cortez, following his defeat at Noche UFC 306. “T-City” finally met Diego Lopes in the Octagon on the main card of one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-view events last weekend at the Sphere in […]

Continue Reading Video: Fan Goads Brian Ortega About Tracy Cortez Relationship After UFC 306 Loss at MMA News.

Brian Ortega recently became embroiled in a fiery altercation with a fan who hurled comments at him about ex-girlfriend, Tracy Cortez, following his defeat at Noche UFC 306.

“T-City” finally met Diego Lopes in the Octagon on the main card of one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-view events last weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Ortega never found his footing in the bout, as Lopes came dangerously close to finishing him in the opening round. From there, the rising Brazilian star unleashed a relentless assault throughout the fight.

By the final bell, Ortega was left battered and bruised, his left leg nearly crippled from Lopes’ unforgiving barrage of leg kicks. In the end, Lopes secured a unanimous decision victory.

Ortega and Lopes were originally set to face off in a featherweight showdown as the co-main event of UFC 303 in June. However, the 33-year-old Californian had to withdraw on the day of the event due to health complications stemming from a difficult weight cut, even after the fight was moved to lightweight.

Ortega Shows Frustration When Linked To Cortez

As Ortega made his way backstage after a disheartening loss to Lopes, a fan in the crowd taunted him with a cruel remark, shouting that, after losing the fight, Cortez surely wouldn’t want him now.

“Tracy ain’t not want you no more,” the fan said. “Tracy’s done with you.”

What the naysayer likely didn’t anticipate was that ‘T-City,’ already reeling from his defeat, would charge at him in a fit of fury, ready to confront the taunts head-on. However, before things could escalate, security intervened, pulling Ortega back and preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.

The romantic connection between Ortega and Cortez became one of the UFC’s most talked-about love stories. The pair dated for nearly two years and were even rumored to be engaged at one point. Frequently seen together at UFC events or supporting each other from their respective corners, the couple never hesitated to flaunt their affection on social media.

However, the couple called it quits early last year, and their highly publicized separation fueled a flurry of speculation. Yet, despite the public drama, the real reason behind their breakup remains cloaked in mystery.

Continue Reading Video: Fan Goads Brian Ortega About Tracy Cortez Relationship After UFC 306 Loss at MMA News.