Tracy Cortez beat Vanessa Melo with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN+ 22 in Sao Paulo.
Take a look inside the fight with Cortez, who picked up a victory in her UFC debut and ran her winning streak to seven straight.
Result: Tracy Cortez def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Cortez (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Melo (10-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Key stat: Cortez landed a pair of takedowns and outstruck Melo 155-76.
Cortez on the fight’s key moment
“It was a hectic week, but I have the right coaches to keep my mind at ease and nothing affected me. I just stayed focused on the fight.”
Cortez on her reception in Brazil
“About the fans, I knew the crowd was not going to like me at first. But Brazil is amazing. The fact that they can just cheer someone on like they did is mind-blowing. I pray that when I fight in my hometown, they cheer for me like that.”
