NFL
By: Julio Olmo
Born and raised in Phoenix, Tracy Cortez was fighting that night at the Footprint Center for #UFC274 against Melissa Gatto.
Tracy shared with everyone what inspires her to fight and how much she was looking forward to performing in front of the home crowd.
The Phoenix Suns were in the NBA’s Western Conference semifinals, and during game an earlier week, they honored Cortez during the popular ‘Go The Gorilla’ slam dunk demonstration in the Footprint Center where she fought Melissa Gatto.
“It was a dream come true, being a girl from Maryvale here–born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona–and just being a little kid and looking at the arena and the people coming in and out of here, I was like, ‘Damn, man, I want to be there one day.’ To have the Suns invite me out and be on that floor…it was an amazing experience. I had like a natural high all night and I was struggling to sleep, but nevertheless, it was amazing.”
And, of course, as she sat there taking in the game, she couldn’t help visualizing her own moment under the bright lights later that week.
“When I found out that UFC was coming here to Phoenix and that the card was stacked, I was pushing for it. I really wanted to fight on this card.”
Being a Dream Chaser and making them a reality is something of a specialty of Cortez.
From becoming a prizefighter to honor her late brother, to winning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, to her perfect 3-0 start in the UFC, the flyweight has figured out how to get things done.
It was a great moment made all the sweeter by the capacity crowd, many of them hometown family and friends cheering and chanting her name.
It took just over a year for Tracy Cortez to return to action; for this reason she wants to remain very active in 2022.
Although the duel with Melissa Gatto was extended to the decision, the Mexican origin ensures that she will return to training immediately to be ready for whatever challenge that is put in front of her:
“I have a lot of goals to meet. I’m very happy, motivated and hearing the fans chant my name in Arizona was a dream come true.”
Phoenix's finest gets the victory in her hometown 🙌
[ @TracyCortezMMA | #UFC274 | Early prelims continue LIVE on @ESPNPlus & @UFCFightPass ] pic.twitter.com/RucgrHeziX— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2022
Taking in the rest of the card as fans ❤️
[ @TracyCortezMMA @BrianTCity | #UFC274 ] pic.twitter.com/AZcsPm82xX— UFC (@ufc) May 8, 2022
