When Tracy Cortez steps into the octagon at UFC 329, she’ll be coming off perhaps the most important training camp of her career.
That’s because Cortez (12-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who considers herself a proud first-generation Mexican-American, decided to leave Fight Ready in Scottsdale, Ariz., so she could live in Mexico City and use the UFC Performance Institute there as her home base to prepare for her UFC 329 flyweight bout against Wang Cong (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
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It’s a decision she feels absolutely no regrets about making, highlighting that her “top reason” for the move was to live out being Mexican.
“I really just wanted to connect to my roots,” Cortez told MMA Junkie, adding that she hopes the UFC will announce her as fighting out of Mexico City. “I wanted to come back and not just say I’m Mexican but, hey, I’m living it. I’m here, I’m connecting with my people here, I’m living the life here, and as of right now it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Cortez said leaving Fight Ready after so many years was “nothing personal” and that she felt like she “outgrew” the gym.
“It was just one of those things for me to grow not just as a person, but as an athlete, I do have to explore, and I do have to go out of my comfort zone,” Cortez said. “I was very comfortable at Fight Ready for many years. It’s just one of those things to grow, to evolve. … Coming here to Mexico City, I feel like I’ve grown so much as a person, as a Mexican woman, and as a professional athlete.”
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With her old trainer, Santino DeFranco, back by her side, Cortez believes training at elevation in Mexico City has been “like a cheat code.” For that reason, she expects to feel at her best physically heading into UFC 329.
Mentally, Cortez also is of sound mind and feeling at ease despite being 1-2 in her past three appearances. She lost to former UFC champ Rose Namajunas on short notice in July 2024, followed by a win over Viviane Araujo in June 2025 and, most recently, a submission loss to Erin Blanchfield last November.
Competing on a huge UFC 329 card that features the return of Conor McGregor in the main event is also something that Cortez welcomes with open arms.
“There’s not really any pressure,” Cortez said. “I know who I am. I know what I’m capable of in that octagon. I know my talent and the tools that I have within me, my overall fight IQ. There’s not really any pressure. If anything, it’s just going in there and trusting the game plan. I put in work this camp, so I don’t feel any pressure.
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“If anything, I consider the pressure as a privilege. To me, I don’t have anything to prove to anybody. I know I’m able to break into the top five.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: How Tracy Cortez decided to deeply connect with her Mexican roots before UFC 329
