Outside Source
Over the holiday with a lull in most MMA outside of Oktagon MMA and the yearly Rizin Fighting Federation New Year’s Eve spectacle, the MMA community was surprised when athletes Alex Pereira and Tracy Cortez announced their new relationship. Posted on a since-removed Instagram Stories segment on Cortez’ page, the two shared a photograph of them kissing while holding sparklers.
Fans were quick to tag and prod Cortez’ ex-boyfriend, Brian Ortega, even though the two split in 2023. The sheer volume of messages and tags were too much for “T-City” to ignore, so he decided to weigh in on his ex with another man while taking the high road.
“I see you guys hitting me up trying to get a rise out of me (y’all creative I give you that),” Ortega wrote on his own Instagram Stories on Friday morning. “Listen up, I’m beyond happy and been happy. It ain’t my style to talk about others’ personal life and choices nor is it my business. My business is my family and my career, 2026 and every year after will always be about them.”
’Moicano,’ Ever the Antagonist
Standing out among the veritable sea of posts and comments regarding Pereira and Cortez, Moicano made sure to get a word in. He and Ortega first shared the cage in 2017, where “T-City” handed the Brazilian his first career defeat with a comeback submission. Ever since that loss, Moicano has been looking to run it back with Ortega, and he will get his wish in March as part of UFC 326.
While out on a run in the early hours of 2026, the Brazilian recorded a short video riffing on the blossoming relationship.
“I woke up early today, the first of the year, thinking about taking one day off,” the submission specialist remarked, “but then I saw ‘The Indian’ [Pereira] with Tracy Cortez on New Year’s Eve. Everybody made fun of Ortega crying on his bed. Not me. I’m going to train twice more because ‘The Bull’ must be really angry, training a lot. So, for my own safety, I decided to take a 10km run.”
Only having fought six time since 2019, Ortega’s initially meteoric rise hit a number of speed bumps along the way. Whether due to injuries keeping him on the shelf or by facing foes that bested him, Ortega has dropped four of five with his lone victory revenge against Yair Rodriguez in 2024. Having lost two in a row while also struggling to reach the 145-pound mark, the California native is officially relocating to lightweight to face “Money” at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 7.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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