It is no secret that Stake is the official betting sponsor of UFC. Their partnership goes far beyond a simple cooperation between the companies. This can be seen in the number of UFC fighters who are also working for Stake as brand ambassadors. Just some of the names tied to this company are Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, Merab Dvalishvilli, and Valentina Shevchenko, among few others.
Today, a moment came to announce the latest deal between Stake and an UFC fighter. Once again, the online casino and sports betting brand decided to make ties with a fighter from the women’s division of UFC, and it is with none other than with Tracy Cortez. The Mexican fighter is one of the mainstays in the flyweight division. At the moment she is the #8 ranked fighter in the UFC standings, and is currently standing at 12-3-0 record with the company. She has six wins in her last eight bouts, and remains one of the most popular UFC fighters in the female division of UFC.
As such she is the ideal candidate to represent the online casino and sports betting brand. Stake partnership with Tracy Cortez was announced not long ago, and big things are expected from her as the ambassador for the company. Considering that her next bout is only in a few days, no one should be expected if her work as the ambassador starts right away. You’ve probably seen the strides that the company made during the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada with their football brand ambassadors Iker Casillas, Patrice Evra, Sergio Aguero, and Eden Hazard. That’s more than enough reason to watch out for Tracy Cortez as she tried to get back to winning ways at UFC 329 where she will face Wang Cong, but more on that later.
Why Was Tracy Cortez Picked as the Next Stake Ambassador?
When you look at the way Tracy fights, the way she looks, her demeanour, and all the attention she gets wherever she goes, it is easy to understand that this decision by Stake was a no brainer. Tracy Cortez is the latest ambassador for Stake online casino and sports betting platform, and we can only ask: what took you so long? While Cortez represents her native Mexico at the biggest stage, it is no secret that Tracy is Phoenix, Arizona born and bred. Her rise through the ranks of UFC was nothing short of remarkable, and her story of resilience will be told for generations to come.
If you’ve been following Cortez closely you know that her path to enter the top 10 ranked fighters in the flyweight division was a movie like adventure which can serve as an inspiration to many of us. Unlike many of her peers, Tracy started her MMA path early on, as she was already in the octagon at age 14, drawing inspiration from her brother who was also an MMA fighter and sadly passed away before he could see his sister climb her way to the top.
At the moment, Tracy Cortez is the No8 ranked fighter in the flyweight division, and with a record of 12-3-0 she is looking to cement herself as one of the best to ever do it in the couple of her next bouts. The 32 year old fighter is still one of the rising stars in the UFC, and now she will have the opportunity to represent Stake at the biggest stage, and become a part of the family that already has the likes of Israel Adesanya, Alex Pereira, Valentina Shevchenko, Max Holloway, Alexandre Pantoja, Alexa Grasso, Caio Borralho, and Merab Dvalishvili.
Top Mentality From a Top Performer
As we mentioned, Tracy Cortez didn’t have an easy path to stardom. After losing her brother to cancer, who was an inspiration for her MMA career, she understood that every goal is achievable if you work hard, take good care of your mind and body, and take one obstacle in front of you at times. Cortez made a name for herself at Dana White’s Contender Series. She entered the competition in 2019, and her success saw her rake up 11 consecutive victories before tasting the bitter taste of defeat for the first time. With her amazing winning record there was no doubt that she would be a star in the UFC too. At the moment Cortez remains one of the most competitive fighters in the flyweight division, and is looking for her big next challenge that lies in the form of Wang Cong at UFC 329. We are sure that the Chinese fighter will have no answer for Cortez’s relentless pace, grappling, wrestling, and striking skill, and most of all, her spirit of the warrior. Even in defeat we’re used to having Tracy putting on a show regardless of the direction the fight is going.
Cortez & Stake Taking on MMA
Stake is wise to have taken Tracy Cortez under their wing. It is rare to have an octagon superstar that holds herself as a fashion model out of the bouts. There’s no arguing that Tracy is one of the most attractive fighters in the entirety of UFC. Her looks, but even more her fighting spirit have made her appealing to a global audience. As an authentic fighter, she remains close to her roots, Tracy attracted plenty of neutral fans from all over the world in a short span that saw her rise through the ranks in the flyweight division. Due to everything said, she is almost a perfect ambassador for Stake online casino and sports betting brand. Considering that the company is making massive strides with Casillas, Aguero, Hazard, and Evra in USA, Canada and Mexico, adding a local celebrity, originating from Mexico, who also has a massive event in July seems like a perfect move.
There’s no doubt in our mind that this partnership is going to be a massive success for all parties involved. At the end of the day, Stake has deep roots with UFC, and sports betting and MMA go hand in hand with the number of available betting markets. On a personal note, Tracy Cortez is also excited to become a part of Stake’s family. After the deal between them was signed, Cortez had this to say:”Partnering with Stake feels like the perfect fit for this chapter of my career. They value the same grit and authenticity that I bring to every fight. I’m ready to take this journey to the next level together.”
A Start of an Amazing Story
With the way Tracy Cortez has started her MMA and later UFC career, we can say that she is still climbing the ladder. For her, the only path is upward, and can claim that her best days in the company are ahead and not behind. Just like many of her peers, Cortez has the highest of ambitions, and you can already tell that she will not stop before she can call herself a world champion. She has her eyes on the belt, and this ambition is what made her an ideal partner for Stake, a brand that is always on the lookout to get bigger, better, and remains at the top of its game.
For years now, Stake was clear in its intention to partner itself with the biggest fighting promotion in fighting sports that UFC is, and consequentially to have its best fighters represent the brand too. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Tracy Cortez was added to Stake’s roster. While this partnership will do wonders for the Mexican fighter from the commercial side, we can tell you that at the moment she is fully focused on the next challenge at UFC 329, Wang Cong.
Wang Cong vs. Tracy Cortez Prediction
This is not an easy bout to rate. Both fighters are hungry, and are looking to add to their UFC legacy. Right now, we can say that we expect a careful approach from both fighters. With that in mind, we say that the fights will last more than two rounds. In most cases, Cortez has taken her bouts to decision, and we expect a similar scenario this time around too. Of course, there’s no hiding the fact that between the two fighters, Wang has better finishing power. There are more than a couple instances where she wrapped her fights with heavy hitting instead of playing the long game.
We think that while Wang Cong will try to wrap up this bout early on, she will not be able to do so against a well rounded fighter in Cortez who knows how to dictate the pace of the bouts, and make any contest a wrestling one. The odds are also almost even, with no clear favourite in sight. If you want to wager on Tracy, the odds on her win are set at 1.89, while a win by Wang Cong is paid with 1.92 odds.
Because both fighters are almost equal in terms of their quality and UFC career so far, the safest bet you can make is that the bout will be over 1.5 rounds long. The only reason why you shouldn’t make this wager is if you have high trust in Wang’s ability to wrap up this bout with her striking. Back in 2024, it only took 62 seconds for Wang to stop Victoria Leonardo. She knows how to deal blows, but that doesn’t make Cortez a pushover here. She is quite adept in fighting at her feet, and if you’ve been following her career as of late, even when she loses it happens in the latter rounds.
This time around, we think that if Cortez manages to make this all about grappling and wrestling she has a great chance of winning. It is a well known fact that when it comes to wrestling and grappling that she is a fantastic fighter. What could work against her in this bout if she enters into early exchanges with Wang. While her strikes are technical and she knows how to land them it’s no secret that she’s not a powerful striker. Wrestling and cardio are her paths to a victory here, and if she remains clean with her takedowns, it is possible for Tracy to get a clean win here.
Wang, on the other hand, will have a different approach. With her history in kickboxing, she has proven the ability to end fights with both her strikes and kicks. It is important to remember that Wang has a kickboxing victory over Valentina Shevchenko and that’s quite a feat. Her power is not to be underestimated, and with a solid takedown defence, she might have a slight advantage over Cortez in this bout. Of course, the longer the fight goes on, the more the chances of Tracy’s win will rise.
UFC 329 is only a week away, and we’re in for some majestic fun at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by none other than Conor Notorious McGregor, who will be fighting after a long hiatus against Max Holloway. The fans have been eager for years to see Conor back in the octagon, and while it remains unclear whether he still has the charm to take out active fighters, there’s no doubt that he will be putting on a show regardless of the match’s outcome.
The rest of the card includes bout such as Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov, Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez, Damian Pinas vs. César Almeida, Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III, Ode’ Osbourne vs. Cody Durden, with co main event being a bout between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis. UFC 329 is coming in the aftermath of the incredible show that was UFC Freedom 250, and with the number of interesting bouts in front, it promises to be equally as amazing. With Tracy Cortez being the latest Stake ambassador, we will have our eyes on her fighting Wang Cong, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of the card is not going to be incredible.
