With model-like looks and a stunning pedigree in MMA, flyweight star Tracy Cortez will return to some actions inside the eight-side cage structure known as the Octagon in a highly anticipated out against former two-time champion, Rose Namajunas. But did you know that the 30-year-old had to take a lengthy hiatus from fighting because of injury? Well, that’s what we’re going to focus on ahead of her big-time clash against ‘Thug’.

Despite her personal problems that came to the fore, Tracy Cortez has amassed quite the record for herself. With just one career defeat, she is undefeated in the UFC ever since she first fought in 2019 under the promotion’s banner. However, Cortez’s MMA career has witnessed certain setbacks with a pectoral muscle injury, making her sit on the sidelines for a year-long period.

Tracy Cortez lost a year of her prime because of medical conditions

Following her win over Melissa Gatto in 2022, Tracy Cortez found herself wrapped up in an injury crisis. It took her one year to recover from those medical issues before she returned, all guns blazing and earned a win against Jasmine Jasudavicius at Noche UFC, which was also her only fight in 2023. Following her win, Cortez revealed how things went south for her, starting with the pectoral muscle injury, leading her to undergo surgery.

“Life got in the way. I tore my pec really bad early in the year and then as it was getting better…end of March, I had surgery on my hand. After I had surgery on my hand, I started running a lot, tore my MCL. So it was just little injuries here and there,” Tracy Cortez revealed while speaking on ‘The MMA Hour’.

During her time away, Tracy Cortez took the chance to move to Brazil and train with the famous Pitbull brothers. It turned out to be a great decision because she got better at her craft and when she was ready to return, the flyweight star contacted her team to notify the fact that she was ready to go again, but she was still suffering some effects from the surgery she had earlier.

“The entire team [in Brazil] was just so welcoming. [I] came back, applied everything that I learned, I texted my coaches, I text my manager, I said, ‘Hey, give me a fight. I’m ready, I’m healed, I feel good.’ At the time, my hand was still hurting a little bit to punch because of the surgery but after that, I was good to go,” Tracy Cortez added. But in the wake of her return last year, the 30-year-old shed some light on why she chose to move to Brazil during her hiatus.

Cortez’s reflected on her evolution during time away from the Octagon

Tracy Cortez could have nursed her injury and taken rest in the United States, but she decided to gamble a bit and move to Brazil all by herself. But why? Because she wanted to experience something new and acquire the lessons that come with it. “I was just learning. I was taking everything in. [It was a] new experience, out of the country. I went by myself. It was scary but it was also an incredible experience,” said Cortez during an interview with ESPN last year.

While claiming that she has modified her fighting style, Tracy Cortez added, “I just wanted to grow, not just personally but as an athlete. I analyzed myself and I do believe I’m my biggest critic… I know I wanted to evolve, I knew I wanted to grow [and] I knew I wanted to change my style.” The Brazilian experience may have worked out because she still remains undefeated in the UFC.

It will be interesting to see how Tracy Cortez fares against Rose Namajunas, a former champion at UFC on ESPN 59, which is also a chance for the 30-year-old to be a little closer to her title aspirations. Let us know your prediction in the comments.