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UFC women's flyweight contender Tracy Cortez had to deal with the loss of a loved one in teenage years.
While she eventually got past the difficult chapter of life with sheer will and help from friends and family, her tattoo stands as a testimony to her uncompromising love for her late brother, Jose Cortez.
What happened to Tracy Cortez's brother?
Tracy Cortez had three siblings but she lost her eldest brother in 2011. Jose Cortez was an MMA fighter himself and had a dream of competing in the UFC before being diagnosed with germ-cell cancer around 2008. As a result, he had to quit his pursuit. After battling with the condition for three years, he passed away in 2011.
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The loss of her brother had a huge impact on Cortez and she struggled through depression because of it. Interestingly, it was her late brother who had gotten her into MMA. When she was 14 years old, Cortez began training after watching her brother.
In a tribute to Jose Cortez, the UFC flyweight has a tattoo on her arm of her brother sporting a UFC T-shirt.
Henry Cejudo and his siblings helped Tracy Cortez overcome the loss of her brother
Tracy Cortez was devastated after the death of her brother Jose. However, she soon found out that she was not alone. Olympic medalist and former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo and his family were close friends with Jose Cortez. During the tought time, Cejudo, and particularly his sister, Gloria, helped Tracy overcome the loss and lead a fulfilling life.
Unfortunately, Gloria Cejudo lost the battle against cancer in September 2023. Cortez, who defeated Jasmine Jasudavicius at the 2023 Noche UFC event, dedicated the win to Gloria. The 30-year-old said that she was emotional heading into the fight after hearing the news of Gloria's passing and wanted to perform to the best of her ability:
“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.”
Check out Tracy Cortez's comments below:
On the professional front, the win over Jasmine Jasudavicius extended Cortez's win streak to 11. She will take on former two-time UFC straweight champion Rose Namajunas at this weekend's UFC Denver event.
Namajunas is by far the most notable opponent of Cortez's professional MMA career. She is currently the No.7-ranked flyweight and presents a great opportunity for Cortez to further her quest for the title shot.
