- Tracy Cortez regrets not having a full camp against Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver
- The 30-year-old will try to bounce back to her winning ways
Tracy Cortez is certain she would’ve performed better than she did against Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver if she had a full camp for the fight.
https://x.com/ufc/status/1812354732318671183
Not enough time to train
Speaking to ESPN backstage after her decision loss to “Thug,” Cortez expressed her disappointment over the fact that she accepted the fight on weeks-notice. For Cortez, things would’ve played out differently if she had enough time to prepare against a high-level fighter in Namajunas.
“I took it on a two-week notice unprepared and I gave it all I had,” Cortez said. “I know if I were to have a full camp, prepared, I mean my cardio was there, I think I would have been a lot better. We had a good game plan but I think I proved myself tonight that I can go five [five-minute rounds]. Looking forward to the next one.”
Cortez also admitted that she made a mistake taking too much time gauging “Thug” on the feet. It also didn’t help that she hurt her toe as Namajunas was able to capitalize on her on the ground as well.
“I was really trying to pace myself the first and second round,” Cortez reflected. “I just realized, this is give it all I have. It’s all or nothing. I think I waited a little too long to really push it on her.”
“I hurt my toe, no excuses, I know it was kind of hard for me to get up,” she revealed. “But I was pretty upset that she took me down the way she did.”
Moving on
As expected, Cortez is now moving on from the defeat. She vows to focus on getting back to her form when she was beating everybody in front of her.
“I want to get right back in there,” Cortez said. “The last time I fought I went on a killer streak. I want to prove myself again. I’m not here to prove to the world, I’m here to prove myself.”
The loss to Namajunas was only Cortez’s second defeat as a pro. Prior to that, she was on an 11-fight winning streak. On the other hand, Namajunas is hoping to be included in the flyweight title mix following her second win in the division.
Watch Cortez’s full interview below:
