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UFC Mexico appeared to be all about momentum. Fans witnessed Ailin Perez extending her winning run, Macy Chiasson getting tested, and another loud night at the Arena CDMX, but the real fireworks came after the last bell, and they weren’t even inside the cage.
Because the moment Perez took the microphone and reignited her feud with Tracy Cortez, everyone knew it wasn’t done yet. Different weight classes? Sure. Rankings separated by division? Doesn’t matter. This one has been personal for a while. And this time, Cortez didn’t stay quiet.
Tracy Cortez fires back as rivalry heats up again
Ailin Perez, fresh off her sixth consecutive victory, did not hold back. ‘Fiona’ claimed she had already conquered bantamweight and that now was the moment for Tracy Cortez to fight her—because if she becomes champion, that door closes.
“So the fight is now,” she said. “Tracy Cortez is always trying to fight me outside the cage; she’s always trying to look for me.
And when I’m trying to look for her, where is she? Nowhere; she’s a coward.”
Tracy Cortez’s response? It was short, equally sharp, and definitely not PG. The flyweight commented on Ailin Perez’s Instagram video of the same callout that divided fans, as Cortez decided to reply to the Argentinian fighter in Spanish.
“Obsessed with me,” she wrote. “I see #7 Bantamweight vs. #8 Flyweight.
Bring it on, B—-. Because no one here is afraid of you!!”
Tracy Cortez Responds To Ailín Pérez #UFCMexico Callout
“Obsessed with me, I See #7 Bantamweight vs #8 Flyweight Bring it on, B*tch, because no one here is afraid of you!!”
Who Wins This Matchup If Booked 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FvMLLEwBgp
— Kevin (@realkevink) March 2, 2026
No explanation or breakdown needed. Just pure smoke. After all, this rivalry isn’t exactly built on respectful callouts. There were several backstage interactions. Instagram Live clapbacks. Ailin Perez earlier called Cortez “trash,” while Cortez claimed ‘Fiona’ talked big but acted differently in person.
Now that Perez is on a roll and the flyweight is trying to recover from a difficult patch, the timing feels interesting. For Cortez, engaging with a bantamweight isn’t just about pride. It’s about relevance. After back-to-back setbacks against Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield, it’s safe to say her flyweight momentum has entirely stalled.
A high-visibility grudge match against a surging contender like Ailin Perez offers Tracy Cortez a lucrative chance to reclaim the spotlight. It’s messy. It’s loud. And even if the divisions don’t line up perfectly, the tension absolutely does. However, the fight hinges on which woman agrees to change weight classes, a decision left to the matchmakers. After all, Ailin Perez is known for being picky about making weight.
Perez’s ultimatum ahead of UFC Mexico made headlines
The tension surrounding Ailin Perez extends far beyond Instagram. It showed up before she even entered the cage in Mexico City. Ahead of her fight with Macy Chiasson, ‘Fiona’ made it very clear she wasn’t playing games with the scale.
“I saw her, and she looks like she might not make weight,” Ailin Perez told MMA Junkie. “If she doesn’t make weight, I won’t fight, so she’s going to have to put in the effort.”
‘Fiona’ doubled down on why it mattered. For her, this was more than just trash talk; it was about principles. She was not going to bend because someone else was unable to manage their cut.
“With me, that’s not going to fly,” Ailin Perez continued. “I’ve been preparing for the last three months to first make the weight and also to fight.
So I’m not taking any excuses. She had a lot of time. I see her every day at the UFC PI, and I see she’s very big.”
The irony of Ailin Perez’s hardline stance on the scale isn’t lost on the MMA community. In September 2024, a trembling Perez famously missed the bantamweight limit, prompting Cortez to publicly mock her. For the Argentine national to now use weight-cutting as a weapon against Macy Chiasson shows a remarkable shift in leverage, which explains Cortez’s eagerness to retaliate.
Fortunately, Macy Chiasson eventually made weight, and the fight went ahead. Ailin Perez won a hard-fought unanimous decision, bringing her win streak to six. But the pre-fight ultimatum stuck. It reinforced the notion that Perez isn’t simply confident; she wants things on her terms. And if a potential clash with Tracy Cortez becomes real, don’t expect her to compromise on the details.
