Tracy Cortez didn’t know the UFC 322 main event: “I’m like what is [Islam Makhachev] doing here?”

Tracy Cortez is a featured competitor on UFC 322 but had no idea as to what the headlining fight of the night with Islam Makhachev’s presence becoming a confusing sight for her recently.

This was revealed during a pre-fight interview with Nina Drama, with an excerpt from the full interview posted to X account @RedCorner_MMA. Cortez will clash with Erin Blanchfield in one of the more relevant bouts on the preliminary portion of the card. Cortez is trying to claim that number four spot that Blanchfield currently occupies in the flyweight rankings.

When asked during her interview with Nina Drama what is something that people get wrong about her, Cortez said,

“That I don’t know a lot of people… Like I didn’t even know who the main event was… I knew the co-main, but then I saw, how do you say his name?… Islam [Makhachev]. Is that his name? Then I saw him and I was like what is he doing here? My coach looked at me and he was like he’s the f**king main event.”

Tracy Cortez believes a title shot could await her post-UFC 322

Tracy Cortez enters Madison Square Garden on November 15th with a peripheral focus on this fight being one that could net her a title shot in 2026. The proximity point of Valentina Shevchenko defending her 125-pound crown on this card against Zhang Weili can also add a little fuel to the fire of this concept.

During a UFC.com interview during media day addressing the machinations of this matchup and what a victory could propel her to next, Cortez stated [via MSN],

“This is competing for the No. 4 spot, possibly No. 3 — call me crazy, but winning this [fight], I could be a title challenger. Even saying that it’s, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but a dream come true. It’s what I worked so hard for, and I’m extremely focused right now.”

“It’s been a journey. It has taken me a lot longer than I would have liked, but being here now, and the road getting here — everything happens for a reason. All the setbacks, all the injuries, all the delays…the timing is perfect.”

Cortez and Blanchfield have a history with one another as the former earned a controversial split decision victory over the latter during their Invicta FC clash in 2019.