Dana White defends Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega stoppage
Last night, in the main event of UFC 231 in Toronto, UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway defended his title for a second time, thumping formerly undefeated challenger Brian Ortega with such severity that the cage-side doctor stopped the fight between the fourth and fifth rounds.
While not everybody agreed with the doctor’s decision to end the fight, UFC President Dana White believes it was the right decision.
”I wanted them to stop that fight going into the fifth round,” White said at the UFC 231 post-fight press conference (transcript via MMA Mania).“I was hoping that either the referee or the corner would stop that fight. That fight needed to be stopped. For all of us in here that have been in the fight game for a long time, that’s what you call, ‘Too tough for your own good.’”
While White feels that the referee made the right choice in this Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega featherweight title fight, he believes Ortega could have returned for the fifth and final round. It just wouldn’t have been wise to do so.
”I believe he could have done the fifth round, I believe he would have done the fifth round,” the UFC President said. “But, it should never have happened. That fifth round should never have happened and I’m glad it didn’t. He’s a young, talented guy and I think going into that 5th round would have been very bad for him, health wise. Fourth round wasn’t good for him health-wise, and definitely not the fifth round. So I commend the doctor here in Toronto for stopping that fight, he did a great job.”
What did you think of the doctor stoppage in UFC 231’s Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega main event? Join the debate in the comments section below.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 12/9/2018.
Topics:
Brian Ortega Dana White Max Holloway UFC
