Tracy Cortez of Phoenix will make her debut as part of a UFC main event on Saturday, live on ESPN from Denver’s Ball Arena in her lightweight match against Rose Namajunas.
At 30 years old, Cortez is undefeated in five UFC fights and has an 11-1 overall record. She steps in as a short-notice replacement for Namajunas, a former UFC strawweight champion. After a gradual climb through the flyweight division and only three fights in 26 months, she now faces the biggest challenge of her career.
“It took me some time to become as active as I wanted, but I’m beyond grateful to be here,” Cortez told The Arizona Republic this week. “More than anything, I’m feeling ready.”
Fighting is a family tradition for Cortez. Her older brother Reyes is a professional mixed martial artist, and her brother, the late José Cortez, was working toward his UFC dream when he was diagnosed with germ cell cancer. José’s battle with the disease inspired Tracy to dedicate herself to an MMA career.
“I started fighting because of him,” Tracy said of her brother. “Being here is not only a dream come true, but it’s also something I worked for to keep his memory alive. On Saturday night, I hope to not just fulfill his dream but make him proud and secure a victory.”
Cortez secured a UFC contract in 2019 after winning in UFC President Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas. She had her first UFC bout a few years later in her hometown, winning a unanimous decision at UFC 274 at Footprint Center.
Injuries have hindered her ability to fight regularly, and she has faced criticism on social media for sharing her challenges and triumphs. At the weigh-in for Saturday’s fight, she was initially a half-pound over the 126-pound limit, but returned to the scale in tears after cutting her long hair to make weight.
Cortez has always believed in herself and knew she would eventually star in a major fight.
“I just didn’t think it would be overnight. Everything is happening so fast,” she said. “All the years of hard work, it almost feels like it happened in the blink of an eye. But the journey to get here was a dream come true, and I worked my butt off. Getting the win would be the cherry on top of the path to greatness.”
A proud representative of Arizona and her home community of Maryvale, Cortez counts herself among notable UFC fighters from the area, like Henry Cejudo.
“I love to represent Arizona, especially my home community, Maryvale,” she said. “I hope to put AZ on the map. There are quite a few athletes, but I don’t see anyone putting in the effort to show they’re from the Valley and rep it as hard as I do.”
How to watch Tracy Cortez (11-1) vs Rose Namajunas (13-6)
UFC Fight Night from Denver will air on ESPN and ESPN+, starting with preliminary bouts at 4 p.m. Phoenix time. The main card is scheduled for 7 p.m.