Tracy Cortez already has her sights set on a trilogy clash with Erin Blanchfield as she prepares for her next Octagon appearance.
Cortez and Blanchfield are currently tied 1-1 in their series. Blanchfield submitted Cortez at UFC 322 in November, evening the score after dropping a 2019 split decision to Cortez under the Invicta FC banner.
"We have to, 100 percent," Cortez said when asked about a third fight. "I definitely want that. I want that rematch."
Reflecting on the UFC 322 loss, Cortez pointed to a crucial error. "Honestly, my last fight, it's one of those things where, all respect to Blanchfield, she won fair and square, but it was one of those things where I made a mistake," Cortez said. "The game plan wasn't to wrestle. I don't know why I shot in for a takedown. I got a little carried away. It was a mistake, and I know we're going to end up running it back, for sure."
Before any trilogy can happen, Cortez is scheduled to face Wong Cong at UFC 329 in Las Vegas this Saturday. She enters that bout on a 1-2 run that includes losses to Blanchfield and Rose Namajunas.
Cortez, 12-3 overall and 6-2 in the UFC, said she has focused heavily on her striking. "If I'm being honest, I really have worked extremely hard on my striking," she said, noting training stints in Brazil and Mexico. "My wrestling is there. My grappling is there... I'm not worried about it."
