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 battle.
A few weeks in the past, Cortez was getting ready for a totally totally different battle in opposition to Miranda Maverick at UFC Vegas 94 on July 20, however she wasted no time accepting a short-notice supply to save lots of the UFC Denver principal occasion after Maycee Barber was pressured off the cardboard resulting from 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 stated throughout the UFC post-fight present. “I do know if I have been to have a full camp, ready, I imply my cardio was there, I believe I might have been loads higher.
“We had a very good recreation plan however I believe I proved myself tonight that I can go 5 [five-minute rounds]. Trying ahead to the subsequent one.”
When the battle first began, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz famous that Cortez was a powerful wrestler and that would play a component in her recreation plan to negate Namajunas’ velocity and ability on the ft. Whereas she did rating an early takedown, Cortez truly discovered herself planted on the bottom a number of occasions by Namajunas throughout the five-round battle.
It seems Cortez truly suffered an harm within the battle 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 form of onerous for me to rise up,” Cortez stated. “However I used to be fairly upset that she took me down the best way she did.”
Cortez, who truly 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 principal occasion within the UFC for the primary time and doing it on brief discover that she wished to ensure she had sufficient in reserve for all 5 rounds.
Trying 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 making an attempt as a result of it was 5 [five-minute rounds], I used to be actually making an attempt to tempo myself the primary and second spherical,” Cortez stated. “I simply realized, that is give all of it I’ve. It’s all or nothing. I believe I waited slightly too lengthy to actually push it on her.”
Ultimately, Cortez misplaced a unanimous determination on the scorecards, however she gained a whole lot of worthwhile expertise and data that she’ll undoubtedly carry ahead in her profession.
She expects the setback to be momentary with hopes that the UFC will discover her one other battle sooner fairly than later so she will be able to wash the dangerous style of defeat from her mouth.
“I need to get proper again in there,” Cortez stated. “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.”