‘Letting these girls know I’m here’: UFC fan favorite Cortez targets title run as she makes ‘emotional’ return to Vegas

Tracy Cortez returns to a place which changed her life when she meets Justine Kish at the UFC Apex on Saturday night – but the Mexican-American star says it will all be business when she steps into the octagon.

Amid the uncertain times of the pandemic, the Apex has been a blessing for the UFC as the promotion has turned to the venue time and again as fights play out behind closed doors.

Fans will be returning imminently at UFC 261 on April 25, but in the meantime there is one more card to come at the Apex this weekend with a bill headlined by the middleweight match-up between Kelvin Gastelum and Robert Whittaker.     

Appearing on the undercard will be Cortez, who fulfilled a dream when she clinched a UFC contract at the Apex by outlasting Kazakhstan’s Mariya Agapova at Dana White’s Contender Series back in July of 2019.

This Saturday night, standing across the octagon will be Russian-born Kish in a flyweight contest which Cortez hopes will continue her rise, propelled along by an eight-fight win streak.

“I get the chills being in here, this is where my life changed. It’s hard not to get a bit emotional,” Cortez, 27, told the UFC ahead of the fight.

“Personally, I thrive off the crowd’s energy… you get this adrenaline, we’re entertainers that’s why we do it. But I don’t mind it [being behind closed doors]. At the end of the day, I’m going to do my job and I’m going to perform.”

After suffering an inauspicious start to her professional MMA career with a debut submission defeat in the all-women’s Invicta FC, Cortez embarked on the unbeaten run which she rides into this weekend’s showdown.

Her determination to succeed is driven by a heart-rending backstory, as she lost her brother Jose to cancer in 2011. Jose had been an MMA fighter who inspired his sibling to take up the sport.

Cortez suffered more loss when her mother Gloria passed away in 2016, meaning she was unable to watch her daughter’s professional debut.

It is a story which even Dana White admitted made him emotional when announcing Cortez had earned her UFC deal in 2019.

Since then, Cortez has gone 2-0 in the octagon, first defeating Brazil’s Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision in Sao Paulo in November 2019.

Cortez followed that up with another decision win against Stephanie Egger of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi last October, and is adding a burgeoning reputation as a social media favorite among fans.

Both of her past contests were at bantamweight, although Cortez will be dropping to flyweight for her meeting with Kish – a division where she feels naturally at home.

“My debut and my last fight was at bantamweight, that was due to personal issues, I was having some health issues, I didn’t want to have a long lay-off so bantamweight was the smartest choice for me at the time,” Cortez explained.  

“Now that I’m feeling healthy again, things are back to normal, we’re going back to flyweight to give these girls a run for their money.”

The first flyweight challenge awaiting Cortez in the UFC comes in the former of Muay Thai queen Kish.

The 33-year-old has enjoyed mixed fortunes in her six UFC bouts to date, making an impressive start in the promotion with wins over Nina Ansaroff and Ashley Yodder to extend her unblemished MMA record to 6-0.

Since then, however, the momentum has stalled as Kish has gone 1-3, being submitted by young Colombian Sabina Mazo in her last bout in September.

Despite that slide, Cortez believes Saturday’s match-up is an exciting one.

“I go in there to finish every single time,” Cortez said. “I go in there knowing I’m going to win, regardless. I’m not going to quit, I’m not a quitter, I’m not a slow fighter, I keep the pace high, I keep the intensity, I feel confident in all aspects.

“I think it’s going to be a good fight, we both keep the intensity, it’s going to be a very active fight, high-paced. She’s a tough opponent. I know she doesn’t like to get hit, she covers, so that’s going to benefit me.”

Above all, Cortez believes that this will be a chance to make a statement in a 125lbs division currently ruled over by the formidable Valentina Shevchenko.

“I feel like this is my opportunity to showcase me at my best, at 125lbs, and let these girls know that I’m here now,” said the budding Phoenix-born star.

“I want to be top five this year, going into next year, if everything’s done right, I’ll be ready for that title shot.”