Ahead of her main event debut this weekend, UFC women's flyweight Tracy Cortez has detailed the kind of success she's envisioning for herself on mixed martial arts' biggest stage.
Since losing her professional debut under the Invicta FC banner in 2017, Cortez has experienced nothing but her hand raised inside the cage, winning 11 straight fights to establish herself as one to watch at 125 pounds.
After adding the name of Erin Blanchfield to her record in 2019 and subsequently securing a victory on Dana White's Contender Series, Cortez's winning run has extended with a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC.
Now, the Phoenix native is set for her toughest test to date in the form of Rose Namajunas. With the former two-time strawweight champion left without an opponent for this weekend's UFC Fight Night main event in Denver following Maycee Barber's withdrawal, Cortez has stepped up on short notice.
And beyond making the most of the sizable opportunity awaiting her at the Ball Arena on Saturday night, Cortez is foreseeing an ascent to the highest possible step on the women's MMA ladder...
Cortez Outlines Lofty UFC Ambitions Ahead Of Main Event Debut
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Cortez looked ahead to the shot at title contention that has fallen at her doorstep this weekend in Denver.
In terms of what she hopes to achieve with victories over notable names like "Thug Rose," the #11-ranked flyweight set her sights on going above and beyond the legacy left behind in the cage by a trailblazer for female MMA.
You know, I'm very grateful for the way Ronda (Rousey) paved the way for women's MMA. No one has done it like she has," Cortez said. "But I say this humbly, I hope to surpass that. She set a goal, and I think us as competitors, we want to keep overstepping these goals and overdoing what our last heroes did.
I saw the way she moved and (I'm) finessing and tweaking, making it my own and hoping to surpass what she has done," Cortez added.
Having won all five of her Octagon outings to date and cemented a ranking with her victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius at Noche UFC last September, the next step on Cortez's journey toward the greatness former bantamweight queen Rousey achieved in the cage is a big one.
To remain perfect in the UFC and notch her first headline triumph, the 30-year-old is tasked with stalling the two-division ambitions of Namajunas.
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