Who is Gloria Cejudo? An emotional Tracy Cortez dedicates Noche UFC win to "big sister" who recently passed away

The late Gloria Cejudo made a positive impact on UFC flyweight contender Tracy Cortez's life when she was struggling with the loss of a loved one.

Cortez extended her MMA winning streak to 10 after defeating Jasmine Jasudavicius via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 227. It was Cortez’s first UFC appearance since May 2022 when she came out on top against Melissa Gato at UFC 274.

During the post-fight press conference, Cortez stated that she was emotional going into the fight after hearing the news of Gloria Cejudo’s passing. She dedicated her win to ‘big sister’ Gloria and said:

“She was a big sister. Cancer’s a nasty disease. I wanted to honour her and perform the best that I can and I want to dedicate this fight to her.”

Gloria was the sister of former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo. She had been battling cancer since 2021 and succumbed to the fatal disease on September 15, 2023. She was a mere four days away from celebrating her 41st birthday.

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Henry and Gloria Cejudo played an important role in Tracy Cortez’s life

Tracy Cortez’s elder brother Jose Cortez was a huge inspiration for her to take initial steps in the world of MMA. However, he passed away because of cancer and left a void in the younger sister’s life. Henry Cejudo and his family, who were close friends with Jose, helped Cortez overcome depression and get her life back on track.

Upon Gloria's passing, Henry Cejudo shed light on the caring side of her personality in an emotional Instagram post. He wrote:

"She played so many roles in my life including being my second mom. The most selfless person I have ever met. Thank you for teaching me about unconditional love. No more pain and suffering, rejoice with our Heavenly Father."

See the post below: