UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez made her return to the octagon in triumphant fashion taking a decision victory over Viviane Araujo at UFC 317 on Saturday night.
Cortez (12-2) has been out of action since July 2024 due to a series of health issues that she’s kept private and understandably so. She peeled the curtain back slightly opening up on what she’s gone through the last year.
“My health was a lot more important than my career at the time a few months ago. I was going through something that was extremely scary. Specially because cancer runs in my family,” Cortez told Cageside Press among other reporters at her post-fight scrum.
“I started having a lot of issues when I was in Brazil. So then I flew back into the states because I was getting really scared. I had my surgeries, I got healthy, and I’ve been trying to get a fight since January. I was calling him (my manager) every day calling him like ‘Dude what’s going on? Book me a fight!’. He finally booked me a fight for this night, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve never fought or attended International Fight Week so it was really cool.”
Luckily for Cortez she didn’t have to face the scary reality of health issues alone.
“I have such a great support system. My family was there for me. I never felt like I was really lacking because although I was going through some health issues I was still in the gym. I wasn’t training, but my coaches were getting me out the house. My pastors were there for me as well a lot,” said Cortez.
In her post-fight interview with Joe Rogan she took the mic and spoke to the Mexican community from the heart about what’s been going on in their community. Within the last few months with the new administration taking power policy changes have seen U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct raids in Latino communities all over the country looking for undocumented immigrants.
It’s resulted in communities living in fear, and recently protests, some which have turned violent. It’s an issue that’s close to Cortez given she’s part of the Mexican community, and receives a lot of support from the people.
“A lot of my fans are Mexicans. It’s the Latin community. It is someone that I represent very much to my core and I think it would be almost coward-like if I didn’t speak up about something you know,” she said.
“I want the support from what I call ‘Mi Gente, La Raza’. I want their support and I represent the Mexican flag as well as the US flag. I think it’s only right for me to speak on it. I haven’t been able to because I’ve been very focused on this fight.
“I don’t know if I am qualified to speak on such a sensitive topic, but nevertheless I could be a voice. I’m here.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Tracy Cortez above.
