Being in the UFC comes with plenty of perks, fame, fans, and financial opportunities. But that same spotlight can quickly turn into a double-edged sword when admiration crosses the line into obsession. Over the years, fighters/celebrities have faced unsettling situations that spiraled far beyond what anyone could have imagined. UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez has experienced something similar.

The Phoenix, Arizona native is set to compete on the undercard of UFC 322 in New York on November 15, where she’ll take on Erin Blanchfield. Before the fight, however, the 31-year-old appeared on the Thinking with a Pump podcast, where she opened up about one of the “weirdest” fan encounters she’s ever experienced; an incident so unsettling that it ultimately drove her to leave her home.

Tracy Cortez can’t even enjoy a meal in peace

During the conversation last month, the host asked Cortez if she’d ever had any “creep stories” involving fans. “All the time,” she replied instantly. But one particular encounter stood out to her more than the rest. She recalled dining with her family at a Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers restaurant when a fan approached her. “So, like, the weirdest is, like, I was eating and then a fan comes like, ‘Oh my god, you’re Tracy. Can I get a photo,’” she remembered.

Wanting to be polite, Cortez agreed to take the picture, but what followed quickly turned uncomfortable. “Then we take a photo and I’m like, ‘Okay, like I’m with the family.’ He just stands there for like 45 plus minutes,” Cortez said. Things became even more awkward when the fan began inserting himself into her family’s conversation. “We’re all talking and like he like would butt in the conversation, and I’m just… it was just awkward, it was so weird,” she added.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only unsettling experience Tracy Cortez has faced. She went on to reveal that some individuals had managed to find her home address, which ultimately forced her to move. “People have found my address that’s why I moved out… People started sending me mail at my house and I’m just like that’s not okay. Like that’s especially being a girl and living alone I was like that’s not okay,” she said during the podcast.

Being famous, especially a woman, can be quite nerve-racking especially when dealing with certain fans. While nosy and intrusive fans in the moment can somewhat be dealt with, it’s the instances of stalking that turn truly frightening. And while Tracy Cortez’s case didn’t escalate as she ended up moving her home, the same can’t be said for veteran Nick Diaz, who had one of the worst cases of stalking in recent memory.

When Nick Diaz’s fame turned frightening 

The Stockton legend has been dealing with a stalker for years; a woman who falsely claimed to be his girlfriend and repeatedly invaded his life through obsessive social media posts, break-ins, and theft. Back in 2018, she even filed a false domestic violence report that led to Nick Diaz’s arrest, though the charges were eventually dropped.

In 2025, while Diaz was in rehab, she exploited his vulnerability, moving her father into his home, enabling substance use, and sabotaging his recovery. Coach Cesar Gracie described her as a “hardcore stalker” that Nick never wanted in his life. The ordeal has taken a serious toll on Diaz’s privacy and peace of mind, yet he’s chosen to stay silent, focusing instead on training and staying resilient.

Clearly, fame, as both Tracy Cortez and Nick Diaz have learned, comes with a dark side. But what did you think of Cortez’s story?