What martial arts does Tracy Cortez know? Explaining the UFC star's fighting style

Tracey Cortez She will face Rose Namajunas at UFC on ESPN 59 on July 13. It will be a matchup against the biggest star in UFC history. Miranda Maverick At UFC on ESPN 60 on July 20, Cortez was used as a replacement by the promotion. Macy Barber She had to withdraw from the match due to serious health issues.

Cortez is currently undefeated in the UFC and ranked #11 in the women's flyweight division, so a win over #6 ranked Namjunas could see her climb the rankings and take a big step towards capturing the title currently held by Alexa Grasso. So, ahead of her big showdown with “Thug Rose,” let's take a look at everything we know about Tracey Cortez's mixed martial arts background and fighting style.

Is Tracy Cortez a wrestler?

Tracy Cortez is a Mexican-American born in Phoenix, Arizona. He began training in mixed martial arts after being inspired by his older brother, Jose Cortez, fighting Drew Fickett in 2008. In a past interview with UFC.com, Cortez revealed that his love for mixed martial arts began as he tried to follow the amateur wrestling practices of his three brothers, Jose, JR and Abraham.

Cortez clarified. “They pulled me out of the wrestling room, so even though I wanted to wrestle, I was only able to participate in the sport for a short period of time when I was younger.” But her brother, Jose, took Tracy to his gym after the 2008 bout and pitted her against professional boxers, giving her a rough idea of ​​what it meant to be a fighter.

But Tracy didn't give up when her brother's plan seemed to backfire. She began her mixed martial arts journey in memory of Jose, who passed away in 2011 after being diagnosed with germ cell cancer. Tracy Cortez is known by fans for her ability to apply relentless pressure during matches and control the pace of the fight to her liking. As such, her amateur wrestling background has provided a strong foundation on which to build the rest of her mixed martial arts career.

In a recent Instagram post after the announcement of her bout with Namajunas, Cortez praised Jose for his accomplishments. “Before you passed away, your dream was to make it into the UFC. And in your honor, I worked hard to make your dream come true. Along the way during this crazy journey, I began to visualize myself being the best in the world. Your dream has become mine. On July 13th, I will be competing in the biggest fight of my career. This fight is for you, Jose!” Tracy Cortez will be carrying her brother's legacy and the hope of achieving greatness at UFC in his honor when she steps into the Octagon on July 13. The fighter she replaces on the card also recently opened up about a frightening health scare that forced her to miss the main event at UFC Denver.

Maycee Barber explains withdrawal from Rose Namajunas fight

Currently ranked #4 in the women's flyweight division and on a six-fight winning streak, Maycee Barber was expected to maintain her momentum in the title hunt following her win over “Thug Rose” at UFC Denver, but in a recent statement on social media, Barber revealed that she was experiencing serious health issues that caused her to pull out of her main event bout against Namajunas.

Barber revealed that her health had deteriorated following her last fight at UFC 299 in March, which resulted in her being hospitalized for nine days with an unexplained issue and her developing pneumonia during her stay. Despite multiple doses of oral and intravenous antibiotics, her condition did not improve as initially expected by medical staff.

In “Future” we also… There was no intensity whatsoever that's needed to prepare for a five-round fight, let alone the first five minutes of practice.So her team, her doctors, the UFC, all knew she“… I need to focus on my physical health now so I can run in the future.” It remains to be seen when Barber will be able to return and continue promoting with UFC, but she said in a statement that she looks forward to returning to the Octagon once she is fully healthy.