Tracy Cortez is not talking like someone who just wants to get her hand raised at UFC 329. Ahead of her July 11 fight with China’s Wang Cong, Cortez said she is training to make a statement and believes a dominant win could set up a serious move toward the belt within her next few outings. The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and sits under the bright spotlight of Conor McGregor’s comeback fight against Max Holloway, which headlines the card at welterweight.
Tracy Cortez’s own words leave little room for doubt about her approach. “I’m definitely training extremely hard to make a statement. Extremely hard. I know putting on a great performance in this fight could mean that with two more fights I could be next for that belt.” She did not stop there.
Tracy Cortez Talks UFC 329
“Not just winning but dominating. And I’m going in there to dominate. Like I’m going in there to hurt these girls from here on out. I’m not just going to try to play it safe and, you know, wait till I win a round. I’m going to go in there to hurt these girls.” Those comments, speaking with Stake, frame this fight as more than a comeback spot or a ranking defense. For Tracy Cortez, it is a turning point in style and intent.
The UFC 329 matchup itself gives her a real chance to prove that point. Wang enters the bout with a 9-1 record, while Cortez is listed at 12-3, and the booking places two ranked flyweights on one of the most watched cards of the summer. Cortez sees a very specific striking pattern in her opponent and believes the answer is pace, speed, and wrestling pressure.
“Everyone knows [Wang Cong] she’s a great striker, but I think she’s a one or two punch striker, so she’s either going to throw one hard punch or two hard punches. I personally think I’m faster. I think I throw a lot more volume. And I think my wrestling is going to also change a lot of how people think the fight is going to go and play out.”
Tracy Cortez Calls Out Rose Namajunas
What makes this week more interesting is where Cortez says this fight fits in her long-term plan. “I’m planning my route to the belt. It’s something that’s very important to me. I don’t talk smack about my opponents, I’m very respectful, but I do like to just move with actions. I have a plan and route, but time will tell.” A strong showing over Wang does not put her in an instant title fight, but it would give her momentum again in a division where one or two wins can change the picture fast.
Cortez also already has a name in mind when she looks at the next tier. “I would really want Rose to stay up there. I would love to break the top five and take her spot – respectfully.” She explained why that matchup appeals to her in a way that goes beyond rankings. “I would, because I grew up watching her become a strawweight champion. Being able to fight and share the octagon with someone like her, she’s going to be a Hall of Famer so I respect her a lot. At the end of the day, we’re all aiming for that belt. And I really want that one back, too.”
Cortez has made it clear she does not see that result as a dead end. She sees it as a lesson taken under hard circumstances. “When I say I don’t take the loss with Rose too personally, it’s because I considered it more as a great experience, a learning experience in my UFC career. It’s like I took the fight on two-week notice, and I went into the championship rounds. With a former champion at a high altitude, which I wasn’t prepared for.” She also pointed to a detail she still takes pride in. “And I mean, I made a striker become a wrestler and she wrestled me. And I think that speaks volumes. I know if I would have gone in prepared for that fight, it would have gone a lot different.”
Cortez is trying to show that the version seen in a short-notice loss is not the one that should define her ceiling. She wants the fight with Wang to serve as proof that a full camp, a sharper pace, and a more forceful attitude can put her back on track in a crowded flyweight race. On a card built around McGregor and Holloway, Cortez has a chance to use a big stage for a very direct message: she is still chasing the belt, and she plans to do it with damage this time.
