Tag: Tracy Cortez

Tracy Cortez: ‘I don’t know much’ about new UFC on ESPN+ 37 foe Stephanie Egger

Tracy Cortez admits she’s not fully informed on UFC on ESPN+ 37 opponent Stephanie Egger.

ABU DHABI – Ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 37, [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] spoke with reporters Wednesday during media day.

Cortez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) discussed her women’s bantamweight bout with Stephanie Egger (5-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), her long layoff due to health issues, a late change in opponent, what she expects in her return, and much more.

You can watch the full interview in the video above.

UFC on ESPN+ 37 takes place Saturday at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The entire card streams on ESPN+.

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Tracy Cortez vs. Bea Malecki slated for UFC’s Oct. 10 event

Tracy Cortez and Bea Malecki will throw down on Oct. 10.

The UFC’s October schedule continues to fill up.

The latest addition comes to the promotion’s Oct. 10 event. Women’s bantamweights [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] and [autotag]Bea Malecki[/autotag] are set to square off at a location to be announced later.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Cortez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) returns to action for her sophomore UFC appearance after signing with the promotion off Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 3 in July 2019. Cortez won her promotional debut in November when she defeated Vanessa Melo by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN+ 22.

Malecki (2-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a member of Fortis MMA, made her UFC debut in June 2019 when she submitted Duda Santana. The fight was also her professional debut – a rare coinciding feature for a fighter making her first UFC walk. In her next fight at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, Malecki defeated Veronica Macedo by unanimous decision.

With the addition, the Oct. 10 lineup includes:

  • Marlon Moraes vs. Cory Sandhagen
  • Markus Perez vs. Rodolfo Vieira
  • Edson Barboza vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Ben Rothwell vs. Marcin Tybura
  • Seung Woo Choi vs. Youssef Zalal
  • Thomas Almeida vs. Alejandro Perez
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Bea Malecki

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Combat Rewind, April 11: Whoa, check out Matt Serra just before his UFC debut

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • King of the Cage – Onslaught: [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] vs. Roxanne Ceasear
  • ADCC World Championships: [autotag]Ricco Rodriguez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Yoshiaki Yatsu[/autotag]
  • ADCC World Championships: Ricco Rodriguez vs. [autotag]Roger Neff[/autotag]
  • Strikeforce – Shamrock vs. Diaz: [autotag]Scott Smith[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Benji Radach[/autotag]
  • ADCC World Championships: [autotag]Ricardo Liborio[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kiyoshi Tamura[/autotag]
  • Alaska Fighting Championship 91: [autotag]Andy Enz[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tommie Matthews[/autotag]
  • Strikeforce – Shamrock vs. Diaz: [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rodrigo Damm[/autotag]
  • ADCC World Championships: [autotag]Matt Serra[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Takanori Gomi[/autotag]
  • ADCC World Championships: Matt Serra vs. [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] 2001
  • Strikeforce – Shamrock vs. Diaz: [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Frank Shamrock[/autotag]

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Tracy Cortez hopes to get treated at home the way UFC on ESPN+ 22 fans treated her in Brazil

Take a look inside Tracy Cortez’s win over Vanessa Melo at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo.

[autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] beat Vanessa Melo with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo.

Take a look inside the fight with Cortez, who picked up a victory in her UFC debut and ran her winning streak to seven straight.

Result: Tracy Cortez def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Cortez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Melo (10-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stat: Cortez landed a pair of takedowns and outstruck Melo 155-76.

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Cortez on the fight’s key moment

“It was a hectic week, but I have the right coaches to keep my mind at ease and nothing affected me. I just stayed focused on the fight.”

Cortez on her reception in Brazil

“About the fans, I knew the crowd was not going to like me at first. But Brazil is amazing. The fact that they can just cheer someone on like they did is mind-blowing. I pray that when I fight in my hometown, they cheer for me like that.”

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions: Jan Blachowicz, two others facing six-month suspensions

Jan Blachowicz and two others are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC Sao Paulo.

Three fighters, including headliner [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], are looking at hefty medical suspensions after UFC on ESPN+ 22.

Blachowicz, who appeared to injure his left foot in his five-round victory over Ronaldo Souza, will need to get clearance on both feet in order to return to in-cage competition. Blachowicz is tentatively suspended 180 days, with a minimum of 30 days and no contact for 21 days.

[autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag] and [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag], the lone fighters to suffer knockout losses on the card, are facing similar suspensions. Moraes, who suffered a third-round knockout loss to James Krause, will be suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a neurologist.

Gordon, who was brutally finished early in the first round by Charles Oliveira, was suspended 180 days or until he’s cleared by a otolaryngologist (ENT).

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Check out the full list of UFC on ESPN+ 22 medical suspensions, per a CABMMA record acquired by MMA Fighting.

  • Jan Blachowicz: Suspended 180 days or until x-rays of both feet are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • Jared Gordon: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by otolaryngologist; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • Sergio Moraes: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by neurologist; also suspended 60 days with with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Douglas de Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 14 days with no contact for seven days.

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Sao Paulo

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the octagon the first time – so how did the newcomers perform on Saturday?

Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 22 event marked that special moment in their career.

Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo.

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Tracy Cortez

Tracy Cortez and Vanessa Melo

Division: Women’s bantamweight
Result: Tracy Cortez def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Record: (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B+

When it comes to heartbreaking backstories and a fighting spirit forged through struggle, [autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag] can’t be ignored. As she proved on her entry into the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, she’s willing to scrap under any circumstances, traveling to Brazil to compete on foreign soil in her UFC debut and even moving up 10 pounds so she could get on the card.

On the feet, Cortez shows real promise with her striking, flashing impressive power and accuracy with her boxing against Vanessa Melo. The downside in that range was that she was available to be countered in those exchanges, in the old “take one to give one” approach doesn’t generally lead to long UFC tenures, so she’ll want to dial the in a bit. Still, her willingness to engage was certainly entertaining.

Cortez also shows a willingness to turn to the grappling when needed, spending nearly the entirety of a round of this fight in a controlling position in the clinch. While that doesn’t entertain as much as the striking, I see promise in a fighter willing to be disciplined to a gameplan when it’s effective.

Overall, I think a move back down to 125 pounds may be the right move for Cortez, and there are some defensive tactics that need to be tweaked, but it seems some promising days are ahead for this newcomer.

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UFC on ESPN+ 22 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Charles Oliveira the lone $20k recipient

UFC on ESPN+ 22 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 22 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $192,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN+ 22 took place Saturday at Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. The entire card streamed ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN+ 22 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]: $15,000
vs. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Antonio Arroyo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Wellington Turman[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]James Krause[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Sergio Moraes[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Eduardo Garagorri[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Douglas Silva de Andrade[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Isabella de Padua[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Tracy Cortez[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: $3,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,703,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,337,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN+ 22 with Queen, Foo Fighters and bucking the Eminem Curse

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 22 event in Sao Paulo.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN+ 22 went with as their backing tracks in Sao Paulo.

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