Could Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry have a career in UFC? Tracy Cortez believes so. It was the first name that came to mind when a reporter asked the UFC star to name one professional athlete who would thrive as a UFC fighter. Curry missed his second consecutive game this week due to illness. However, his name was still dropped by the female UFC fighter.

Cortez gave the question some thought amid a long pause before mentioning Curry, per ESPN UFC.

“One athlete from another sport,” Cortez said. “I would say Steph Curry.”

Without proper context, it isn’t easy to gauge what makes Curry an ideal future UFC fighter for Tracy Cortez. It’s a surprising take considering Steph’s thin 6-foot-2 stature.

How Warriors’ Stephen Curry influenced Steve Nash’s retirement

Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns in the second quarter at Chase Center
Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
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Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash revealed how Stephen Curry evoked retirement following a preseason game between the Lakers and the Warriors. Nash shared that he wasn’t 100% while chasing Curry around the court, which eventually led him to call it quits, he said, per The Mind of the Game podcast.

“My nerves were messed up and I couldn’t recover,” Nash said. “I was like, I’ve got to find out, so I had a week since I’d last played. We were playing them (Warriors) in preseason. I’m like, I’ve got to find out. Like, I have to play hurt. Can I play hurt, or else what’s the point? And so we went to play these guys preseason in like Ontario, California.”

“I remember the game,” Curry said.

“We came out, I’m guarding Steph,” Nash said. “I think they put up like 50 in the first quarter. Maybe it was 45, but it felt like a 50-piece. He’s running everywhere. My like back is broke, everything is jacked. I couldn’t have stopped him if I was 100% and now I’m like dragging around. Steve Kerr is putting me in every action. I’m looking over at Steve like, ‘Come on, Steve.’ They’re laughing at me.

“Alvin Gentry over there laughing at me like no, no, no, we want to see what you’ve got. I’m literally like three or four more days of thinking on it. I was like, yeah, uh, I think it’s time. And that was it,” Nash concluded.

Curry’s next opportunity to play will be when the Warriors host the Pacers on Sunday.