Tracy Cortez now meets Vanessa Melo at UFC Sao Paulo

Tracy Cortez will no longer fight Duda Santana on Nov. 16 in Sao Paulo. Instead, her UFC Sao Paulo opponent will Brazilian bantamweight Vanessa Melo, multiple sources told MMA Fighting after a report from Cageside Press.

Melo (10-6) made her Octagon debut on short notice in September, losing a decision to Irene Aldana after missing weight by four pounds for the 136-pound contest. Melo was on a five-fight winning streak prior to signing with the company, capped off by a decision win over Jan Finney in China.

Cortez (6-1) is an Invicta FC and Combate Americas veteran who earned a shot in the UFC after defeating Mariya Agapova in a flyweight contest at Dana White’s Contender Series in July. The 25-year-old talent won six straight after losing in her professional MMA debut in 2017.

The 12-bout card takes place at the Ibirapuera gymnasium and airs live on ESPN+. The main event features the light heavyweight debut of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza against Jan Blachowicz. The promotion is still looking for a new opponent for former champion "Shogun" Rua in the co-main event.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Ronaldo Souza
Mauricio Rua vs. TBD
Charles Oliveira vs. Jared Gordon
Antonio Arroyo vs. Andre Muniz
Markus Perez vs. Wellington Turman
Sergio Moraes vs. James Krause
Ricardo Ramos vs. Luiz Eduardo Garagorri
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Bobby Green
Warlley Alves vs. Randy Brown
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Renan Barao
Ariane Lipski vs. Priscila Cachoeira
Tracy Cortez vs. Vanessa Melo