Following a one-week hiatus, the action is resuming as the UFC bandwagon heads to Denver. The high-stakes marquee event, UFC Fight Night Denver, will feature two-time strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas taking on short-notice replacement, Tracy Cortez. Before Saturday’s bout, the contender, Tracy Cortez sighed, revealing her dilemma and thoughts to Ariel Helwani.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, the #11 ranked fighter got candid and let out her demons of self-doubt and indecisiveness. Cortez reminisced her life decisions, reliving all the pain and sacrifice it took to get where she is at present.
Moreover, the fighter revealed that even though she generally stays dialed in during training, she couldn’t control her emotions on the day the UFC confirmed her participation in Denver.
I was praying and I said, God if this is for me, I said I want it but if it’s not I don’t want it no more. I want whatever you want me for me… I was in the car, I was crying…I’m like tired, so many things are going on in my life, some many things have gone on in my life and I had a moment of doubt with my career and right before I got off the car, that’s when I got a call.”
Caught up in life’s crossroads, the 30-year-old turned to god and prayed for an intervention. She even started doubting herself, asking herself if being an MMA star was what she actually wanted. Fortunately, minutes later, her phone rang and it was the UFC confirming her participation in Denver.
However, irrespective of her next opponent, Cortez’s ultimate aim is to get past her idol Ronda Rousey.
Cortez hopes to get past Rousey as one of the sport’s greatest
‘Rowdy’ Rousey is certainly an inspiration to many and one among them is surging strawweight contender, Cortez. The Phoenix native will have a chance to show her prowess on Saturday night when she steps in on short notice for a scrap with former two-time champ ‘Thug’ Rose.
While Rose was scheduled to face Barber in Denver, an untimely illness forced Barber to pull out, forcing the UFC to rope in Cortez as the replacement. Revealing her goal, Cortez told Helwani that she is deeply moved by the works of Ronda Rousey and she intends to surpass the former bantamweight champion one day.
