Exclusive: "It's understandable" - Tracy Cortez explains why she didn't hesitate much before accepting to fight "unranked" Jasmine Jasudavicius

It didn't take Tracy Cortez very long to accept a bout with Jasmine Jasudavicis, which is scheduled to take place at this Saturday's Noche UFC event.

While speaking to Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw, the No.14 ranked UFC women's flyweight opened up about her upcoming fight against Jasudavicius and what resulted in her accepting the fight. She mentioned that there was some hesitation due to her inactivity, but was eager to return to the octagon.

She said:

"A part of me was a little bit like, 'Umm, no.' Because I haven't been active, I understand. And I think, realistically, although, it wasn't by choice...It's understandable. I get it. There's other fighters that have been fighting, to fight certain opponents."

Tracy Cortez is taking a risk as she accepted a fight against an unranked opponent and essentially putting her ranking on the line in their fight. The Arizona native is currently riding a 10-fight winning streak and has an opportunity to surge up the women's flyweight rankings should she earn an impressive win in her return.

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When did Tracy Cortez last compete?

Tracy Cortez has been inactive for over a year as she most recently competed last May at UFC 274.

The No.14 ranked UFC women's flyweight fought Melissa Gatto on the early prelim portion of the event, which saw her earn a unanimous decision win after all three judges scored the bout 29-28 in her favor. The win improved her MMA record to 10-1 and extended her winning streak to 10 consecutive wins.

The lengthy layoff wasn't planned as the Arizona native was scheduled to fight Amanda Ribas this past December, but the fight was cancelled following the weigh-ins because she had a medical issue. It will be interesting to see whether the layoff will affect her performance when she fights Canadian flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius this Saturday at Noche UFC.