Brian Ortega won’t feel like a UFC champion until he beats Max Holloway in a rematch

UFC featherweight title contender Brian Ortega says that he won’t feel like a UFC champion until he beats Max Holloway in a rematch.

Ortega and Holloway previously met at UFC 231 in December 2018. At the time, Ortega was an undefeated fighter who many thought would give then-featherweight champion Holloway problems. However, that didn’t prove to be the case at all as Holloway absolutely pieced apart Ortega with his striking attack before finally forcing a doctor stoppage at the end of the fourth round. It was an incredible win by Holloway, while for Ortega it was one of those eye-opening types of fights that led him to realize he needed to make changes.

After taking nearly two years off, Ortega returned against The Korean Zombie last October and put on an absolutely incredible showing, as he pitched a shutout with a clear 50-45 win. It was a breakthrough performance by Ortega after being away from the cage for so long, and it was the type of quality win that earned him a title shot. “T-City” returns to the Octagon when he takes on UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski at UFC 260. And while he isn’t looking past his next challenge, he still wants that rematch with Holloway.

Speaking to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Ortega said that, even if he beats Volkanovski at UFC 260, he won’t truly feel like the champion until he’s able to get his rematch with Holloway.

Ortega can win the featherweight belt at #UFC260, but beating Holloway would make him feel like the champ 🏆

(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/VSPLxMRqBa

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 17, 2021

“I wouldn’t feel 100% the champ if I didn’t run it back (with Max Holloway). That man has that on his resume. He gave you your first loss, something you can never take from him. So now it’s like, well, we gotta make this right,” Ortega said.

Should Ortega defeat Volkanovski next weekend at UFC 260, he won’t have to wait much longer for the Holloway rematch, as the winner of this fight will next take on “Blessed.”

Do you think Brian Ortega would beat Max Holloway in a rematch?