Upon entering UFC 317, Tracy Cortez was plagued by a defeat against Rose Namajunas.
Cortez’s perfect record within the Octagon crashed and stopped this same period last year, resulting in a unanimous decision defeat against two flyweight title holders.
Since then, Cortez has bounced back and has achieved an impressive victory over Vivienne Araujo during the international battle in Las Vegas. Starring in The Ariel Helwani Show, Cortez detailed how difficult it is to shake off the “thug” Rose’s fight, and provided insights into the advice she ultimately made her look towards the future, rather than focusing on the past.
“I’m my worst critic,” Cortez told Herwani. “That’s not the way I wanted to win. I wanted to finish. I wanted to set a statement, but I was listening to the coach, Cornerman. The game plan was patient. She was fast, so she was explosive.
“That loss…it bothered me. During camp, I told the coach, ‘What if this happened in the fight?” It happened in the Rose Battle, you know a particular scenario.
Cortez’s victory over Araujo drove two spots in the women’s flyweight division, bringing them to eighth place in the rankings. Following her path towards the top five, there are plenty of exciting matchups for Cortez to return to the Octagon. Of course, it assumes that she can stay healthy long enough to fight more than once a year.