Tracy Cortez explains Fight Ready exit ahead of UFC 329

Tracy Cortez left Fight Ready in Scottsdale after her longtime coach Santino Defranco retired following her November loss to Erin Blanchfield, and the UFC flyweight said she simply outgrew the Arizona gym.

Cortez has relocated to Mexico City to train at the UFC Performance Institute for her July 11 bout against Cong Wang at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. She told Sherdog's Danny Segura that parting ways with Fight Ready, where she spent years, was necessary for her evolution. "I just felt like I outgrew them," Cortez said. "For me to grow not just as a person but as an athlete, I do have to explore, and I have to go outside of my comfort zone, and I was very comfortable at Fight Ready for many years."

Cortez reconnects with Mexican heritage in Mexico City camp

The move has allowed Cortez to deepen her connection to her Mexican roots while developing new training habits. She said the split was amicable and that Fight Ready was all she knew, making the change a necessary step in her progression as a professional.

Cortez went unbeaten in her first five UFC appearances but has dropped two of her last three against Rose Namajunas and Blanchfield. Wang carries a 9-1 record and is 4-1 in the UFC, with a kickboxing win over Valentina Shevchenko on her résumé.

UFC 329 takes place July 11 at T-Mobile Arena.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Why Tracy Cortez left Fight Ready team ahead of UFC 329