UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez has opened up about some of her recent mental health struggles after withdrawing from her fight against Amanda Ribas.
At UFC Orlando earlier this month, Tracy Cortez withdrew from her scheduled bout against Amanda Ribas. There were no specifics revealed at the time as to what prompted the withdrawal beyond the disclosure that Cortez was dealing with a medical issue.
Despite not competing against one another at the event, Cortez and Ribas still attended the event, with both parties being all smiles and enjoying one another’s company.
Tracy Cortez Opens Up On Mental Struggles
The details behind Cortez’s withdrawal are still unclear, but the flyweight did open up on her Instagram page about her mental state prior to pulling out of the fight. You can view Cortez’s comments below as compiled by YouTube channel berkalog.
“I want to say I haven’t been in the right head space since sometime in August. Life has been testing me under circumstances that I least expected. I’m currently healing, I’m prioritizing my mental health and just taking life a day at a time.”
Cortez logged one UFC appearance in 2022, defeating Melissa Gatto by unanimous decision this past May to maintain her unbeaten UFC record and win her 10th straight fight overall.
She did not provide a timetable for a potential return, writing, “In all honestly I don’t know BUT I will be back, strong, and with a purpose far greater then I’ve ever had before. I don’t quit. I’ve never been one to give up. I’m a fighter. I’m a warrior. I’ve been fighting with battles and life since I could remember and this is just another stage in life that I will come out victorious in. I don’t and wait for the storm to pass, I walk through it with my head high.”
Later, in an Instagram Stories series, Cortez added that “I went through my camp extremely depressed” and that being forced to pull out of UFC Orlando “broke me.”
The 29-year-old reiterated that for now her focus is on taking care of herself, particularly her mental health.
“We give everything that we possibly can and we leave it all, every ounce of us in every session,” Cortez said. “I feel like training camp takes a toll on me and I think every fighter can to a certain level relate spiritually, physically obviously, mentally, it takes a toll on us. I gave it all I had and not fighting has kind of left me a little lost.
“But I’m OK, I’m keeping myself healthy and making my mental state, my state of my mind, my mental health, I’m making it a priority.”
In the video, Cortez states that her recent inactivity on social media is due to her decision to take time to heal from some personal issues she’s been dealing with since August. She went on to say that she is working on self-growth after having gone through a grueling training camp in a depressed state and feeling “lost” along the way.
Tracy Cortez is undefeated in the UFC at 4-0, with a professional record of 10-1. Cortez is currently ranked at #13 in the flyweight division. There is currently no word on when she will return to competition.