Tracy Cortez draws strength from J. Cole’s music following loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver

Tracy Cortez has seemingly referenced a J. Cole's song in the aftermath of her first UFC loss. Cortez's most recent fight witnessed her get thoroughly out-struck and out-grappled en route to a one-sided unanimous decision defeat against Rose Namajunas in their flyweight bout at UFC Denver on July 13, 2024.

The event was initially set to be headlined by a flyweight matchup between Namajunas and Maycee Barber. Nevertheless, Barber withdrew due to health issues last month. Cortez agreed to step in on short notice and fight 'Thug' in UFC Denver's new headliner.

Though she wasn't able to beat the former UFC women's strawweight champion, Cortez has received widespread praise for the resilience and tenaciousness she displayed in the five-round showdown.

Tracy Cortez has now put forth an Instagram post. Two of the post's six slides comprised photographs of herself from UFC Denver while one had a video of her fighter walkout. The remaining three slides consisted of motivational quotes, including religious teachings.

Cortez, who's known to be a devout Christian, posted the following quote:

"Grateful to God for guiding me through both my happiest and most challenging moments."

Moreover, the 30-year-old posted a Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, to be specific. The verse indicates that God has plans to prosper you, not harm you, adding that He plans to give you hope and a future. Another quote in the Instagram slides implied that you mustn't tell people your plans but simply show them the results.

Furthermore, the UFC women's flyweight appeared to post a phrase from 'Love Yourz,' a hip-hop track by American rapper, J. Cole (Jermaine Lamarr Cole). Making an allusion to the song, Cortez's statement in the Instagram post read:

"There's beauty in the struggle."

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What's next for Tracy Cortez after defeat to Rose Namajunas at UFC Denver?

After losing her MMA debut, Tracy Cortez strung together an impressive 11-fight win streak. She notably defeated Mariya Agapova via unanimous decision at a DWCS (Dana White's Contender Series) event in July 2019.

The flyweight made her UFC main roster debut with a unanimous decision victory against Vanessa Melo in Nov. 2019. Cortez went 5-0 in the UFC before running into Rose Namajunas.

The No. 11-ranked Cortez is unlikely to be booked against a top-five-ranked opponent next. Incidentally, the No. 10-ranked Viviane Araujo was also to compete at UFC Denver but withdrew owing to an injury.

While a potential Cortez-Araujo matchup seems feasible, Cortez's next opponent and exact comeback date haven't been officially announced yet. Moreover, speaking to Megan Olivi for ESPN MMA, the 125-pounder addressed her defeat and highlighted how she accepted the Namajunas matchup on two weeks' notice.

Cortez believes her cardio and performance would've been better with a full camp and emphasized that she intends to get back to training and compete soon. She had previously expressed interest in competing at the Mexican Independence Day-themed 'Riyadh Season Noche UFC' at the Las Vegas Sphere in September.

Watch Tracy Cortez's conversation with Megan Olivi below: