Ailin Perez criticized Tracy Cortez on Instagram for nearly missing weight for her main event bout against Rose Namajunas, highlighting Perez’s growing reputation for feuding with other UFC fighters.
Ailin Perez isn’t making many friends on the UFC roster. The latest target of Perez’s ire is flyweight contender Tracy Cortez.
Cortez narrowly avoided missing weight for her main event bout against Rose Namajunas on Saturday at UFC Denver. Initially, she weighed in a half-pound over the limit Friday morning.
But then, Cortez returned later with a noticeable length of hair cut off to beat the scale. This is a pivotal bout for Cortez, who stepped in on short notice as a replacement for Maycee Barber.
Cortez is undefeated in the UFC. Namajunas, a two-time strawweight champion, is by far her most well-known opponent to date.
Perez was in disbelief at Cortez’s near-miss and let her thoughts be known in an Instagram Story. “Wow [Cortez] you really had to cut your hair to make weight,” Perez wrote.
“You were gifted an amazing opportunity to be a main event versus a former UFC champ and you barely made it. LOL.” She added, “What a waste of an opportunity, you are showing your lack of preparation for a moment so big.”
Cortez has had trouble making weight before. She came in half-pound over the limit for a fight with Justine Kish in April 2021.
The 30-year-old’s success has been slowed by inactivity; she has fought just once per calendar year since 2020. Meanwhile, Perez is currently competing in the UFC’s 135-pound division.
Perez is developing quite the reputation for feuding with other women on the roster. She threatened to sue Joselyne Edwards after they were involved in a physical altercation at the UFC Performance Institute last November.
Perez defeated Edwards via unanimous decision at UFC 302 this past June. She has also attracted attention from bantamweight star Kayla Harrison.
At the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in June, Harrison said she’d be open to fighting Perez, referring to her as “the twerker” for her choice of in-cage celebration. Perez’s next fight is expected against Darya Zheleznyakova at UFC Paris on Sept. 28.
So much drama!