Tracy Cortez left all of it within the octagon on Saturday evening as she suffered her first loss within the UFC after falling to Rose Namajunas by unanimous determination in a five-round combat.
A few weeks in the past, Cortez was making ready for a very completely different combat in opposition to Miranda Maverick at UFC Vegas 94 on July 20, however she wasted no time accepting a short-notice supply to avoid wasting the UFC Denver primary occasion after Maycee Barber was compelled off the cardboard as a consequence of well being points. Regardless of little or no time to arrange, Cortez nonetheless managed to go all 25 minutes with a two-time strawweight champion in Namajunas, who has now received two straight fights at fyweight.
Cortez was after rather more than an ethical victory.
“I took it on a two-week discover unprepared and I gave all of it I had,” Cortez mentioned in the course of the UFC post-fight present. “I do know if I had been to have a full camp, ready, I imply my cardio was there, I believe I might have been rather a lot higher.
“We had a great sport plan however I believe I proved myself tonight that I can go 5 [five-minute rounds]. Wanting ahead to the subsequent one.”
When the combat first began, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz famous that Cortez was a robust wrestler and that might play an element in her sport plan to negate Namajunas’ pace and ability on the ft. Whereas she did rating an early takedown, Cortez really discovered herself planted on the bottom a number of instances by Namajunas in the course of the five-round combat.
It seems Cortez really suffered an harm within the combat that made grappling a harder battle than she initially anticipated, however she supplied no excuses to remove from Namajunas’ victory.
“I harm my toe, no excuses, I do know it was type of arduous for me to rise up,” Cortez mentioned. “However I used to be fairly upset that she took me down the best way she did.”
Cortez, who really chopped off about six-inches of her hair to make weight on Friday, additionally admitted that as a result of she was combating in a primary occasion within the UFC for the primary time and doing it on quick discover that she wished to verify she had sufficient in reserve for all 5 rounds.
Wanting again, that led to a slower begin than what she wished and that in the end allowed Namajunas to settle into her personal rhythm, which included a knockdown within the opening spherical.
“I used to be attempting as a result of it was 5 [five-minute rounds], I used to be actually attempting to tempo myself the primary and second spherical,” Cortez mentioned. “I simply realized, that is give all of it I’ve. It’s all or nothing. I believe I waited a bit too lengthy to essentially push it on her.”
Ultimately, Cortez misplaced a unanimous determination on the scorecards, however she gained loads of worthwhile expertise and data that she’ll undoubtedly carry ahead in her profession.
She expects the setback to be short-term with hopes that the UFC will discover her one other combat sooner slightly than later so she will wash the dangerous style of defeat from her mouth.
“I need to get proper again in there,” Cortez mentioned. “The final time I fought I went on a killer streak. I need to show myself once more. I’m not right here to show to the world, I’m right here to show myself.”
