Women’s Bantamweights
Tracy Cortez (7-1) vs. Stephanie Egger (5-1)Cortez was essentially a lock to get a UFC contract if she won on her edition of Dana White’s Contender Series. Besides having the type of marketable looks the promotion likes, her backstory basically made it impossible to turn her away. Cortez’s brother was a mixed martial arts fighter before he lost his battle with cancer, and she picked up to the torch and started fighting in the hopes of living his UFC dream. Cortez outwrestled Mariya Agapova without much issue to earn a contract, and after a successful debut against Vanessa Melo, Cortez looks to score another win here. The interesting thing is that Cortez is continuing her campaign at 135 pounds. She was a career flyweight prior to taking the Melo fight on late notice, and as a grinding wrestler, she would figure to be better served in a lower weight class. That may come home to roost against Egger, a Rizin Fighting Federation alum and grappler by trade who is still working out the kinks everywhere else. Egger’s overall style is a bit of a mess. Despite her judo background, she does not seem to have a reliable way of getting to her submission skills. However, she is certainly willing to keep trying to make something happen. Cortez basically has no option but to charge right into danger against a larger and stronger opponent, but cardio concerns loom large for Egger if she cannot find a finish early. The pick is Egger via first-round submission.
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