Brian Ortega News

Cole Shelton - December 4, 2019

Brian Ortega’s long-awaited return to the Octagon will have to wait. Ortega, who has not fought since losing to Max Holloway at UFC 231 last December, was scheduled to fight Chan Sung Jung aka The Korean Zombie at UFC Busan on Dec. 21. But, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Ortega has been forced to pull out of the scrap due to an undisclosed injury.

Natasha Hooper - October 18, 2019

Brian Ortega believes there is only one fighter that stands in the way of UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, and that is Tony Ferguson. The No. 2 ranked featherweight fighter Ortega is convinced that Ferguson has what it takes to defeat the lightweight champion. Ferguson is the former interim lightweight champion and a jiu-jitsu black belt, and he is expected to fight Nurmagomedov in his next bout.

Adam Martin - September 23, 2019

A matchup between two of the most exciting featherweights in the game is official as “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung takes on Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC South Korea. The event takes place December 21 at Sajik Arena in Busan, South Korean. It’s the UFC’s final card of 2019.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - September 18, 2019

Matt Serra believes two fighters could solve the puzzle of Khabib Nurmagomedov. At a stellar 28-0 and holding UFC lightweight gold, Nurmagomedov has become one of the most dominant fighters in the history of mixed martial arts competition. He’s coming off a successful title defense against Dustin Poirier, submitting “The Diamond” in the third round.

Adam D Martin - September 8, 2019

UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega believes he would have finished Khabib Nurmagomedov if he had been put in the same spot as Dustin Poirier. For the most part, Nurmagomedov controlled Poirier for the majority of the pair’s three rounds up until the finish. But there was a point in the fight that Poirier did have the neck of Nurmagomedov and even attempted a guillotine choke, though ultimately Nurmagomedov popped out. Ortega believes that would have been the end of the fight if he had been the one who was in the cage with the champ.

Tom Taylor - September 3, 2019

Brian Ortega is ready to step back into the UFC’s Octagon and separate himself from a late 2018 loss to reigning featherweight champion Max Holloway. He even knows who he wants to fight in his return to action: “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. While this matchup with The Korean Zombie still isn’t official, Ortega believes it makes plenty of sense. He also likes his chances against the fan favorite Korean fighter.

Chris Taylor - August 24, 2019

Earlier this summer BJPENN.com reported that a key featherweight bout between The Korean Zombie and Brian Ortega was in the works for UFC Mexico. However, after the UFC announced that Jeremy Stephens vs. Yair Rodriguez would be headlining the September 21 fight card, it appeared that the promotion may have different plans for Jung and Ortega.

Tom Taylor - July 22, 2019

Last week, BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor reported that a featherweight showdown between top contenders Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung is likely to land on the UFC’s September 21 return to Mexico City. BREAKING! Korean Zombie vs Brian Ortega is in the works for September 21 in Mexico City. It is not a title shot but according to TKZ’s camp, it is “the next best thing”. Worth adding that Chan Sung Jung still wants to compete December 21 in Korea.

Tom Taylor - July 15, 2019

The UFC is headed back to Mexico City on September 21, and the promotion will reportedly be bringing along some awesome featherweight action, as former title challengers Brian Ortega and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung are being targeted to throw down on the card. This exciting plan was first reported by BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor.

Cole Shelton - July 5, 2019

Two ranked featherweights will be fighting at UFC Mexico, but maybe not each other. Both Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega will  fight on the card according to UFC president Dana White. “He will, Yair Rodriguez will fight in Mexico City. Yeah, he (Brian Ortega) will too,” White said at the summer press conference.

Tom Taylor - June 3, 2019

From the sounds of it, UFC San Antonio almost got a banger of a featherweight matchup. According to a report from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, a showdown between recent title challenger Brian Ortega and long-time contender Jeremy Stephens was briefly in the works for the card, but the fight was scratched due to the former’s lingering injuries. “There was some talk of booking Brian Ortega vs. Jeremy Stephens as the headliner for the July 20 card in San Antonio, but I’m told Ortega isn’t healthy enough to agree to a fight at the moment,” Helwani wrote on ESPN. “I do like that fight much better for Ortega than the rumored Zabit Magomedsharipov bout. Ease him back in.”

Drake Riggs - May 9, 2019

The UFC featherweight division has gotten deeper and deeper over the years since it was introduced with the absorption of the WEC in 2011. Since then, fighters within the weight class have provided us with some incredible moments whether it be from the lone champions in Jose Aldo, Conor McGregor or Max Holloway. In regards to the latter, his last title defense came in December 2018 when he put on a masterclass against the undefeated BJJ phenom, Brian Ortega.

Chris Taylor - April 21, 2019

UFC President Dana White took to Instagram earlier today where he wished fight fans a Happy Easter while posting a hilarious photo of Brian Ortega. As seen below, the UFC boss pictated the recent featherweight title challenger, Ortega, as Jesus Christ.

Mike Pendleton - March 5, 2019

As current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway prepares to move up to lightweight and challenge Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight title at UFC 236, the featherweight title picture has become a bit uncertain. Holloway’s most recent featherweight title defense came at UFC 231 when he beat top contender Brian Ortega by TKO (doctor stoppage), handing “T-City” his first professional loss. Before his fight against Holloway, Ortega had defeated the likes of Frankie Edgar, Cub Swanson, and Renato Carneiro to stake his claim to a title shot in the featherweight division.

Drake Riggs - February 28, 2019

The last time we saw ‘T-City’ Brian Ortega inside the Octagon, he went to war with the current champion of his division, Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway. Unfortunately for the challenger in Ortega, he would walk away with his first career defeat as the doctors didn’t allow him to continue into the fifth and final round as the fight was deemed a fourth-round TKO win for Holloway.

Tom Taylor - February 3, 2019

Last night, in the co-main event of UFC Fortaleza on ESPN+, former UFC featherweight champ and bona fide MMA legend Jose Aldo picked up another huge win, this time at the expense of Renato Moicano, who he dispatched with a volley of second-round punches. This victory generated reactions from many MMA stars — including several of Aldo’s rivals in Conor McGregor, Brian Ortega, Alexander Volkanovski and reigning featherweight champ Max Holloway.

Chris Taylor - January 5, 2019

Brian Ortega challenged Max Holloway for the UFC featherweight title at December’s UFC 231 event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After a valiant effort, “T-City” eventually fell victim to the “Blessed Era” via fourth-round TKO.

Drake Riggs - December 17, 2018

At UFC 231 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, one of the most highly anticipated matchups in recent memory took place as two men battled over the UFC featherweight crown. To say that Brian Ortega took some damage in that fight against Max Holloway would be a bit of an understatement. But you wouldn’t know it just by looking at him today.