The Astonishing Career of Shanghai Co-Headliner

Brian Ortega: Background and Beginnings in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Born in Los Angeles, California on February 21, 1991, Ortega was raised in San Pedro, California in one of the city’s infamous Section 8 housing units. Here, the future mixed martial arts star was exposed to many unfortunate and dangerous goings on, including gang violence, which became a normal part of his everyday life as he grew up. In fact, the area was so threatening to him and his family that his father would keep a motor home outside their residence at night to keep them safe from gunfire. 

To keep him off the streets and away from crime and an early grave, his parents enrolled him in the renowned Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Here the young Ortega excelled on the mats, gaining the attention of Rener Gracie, who took him under his wing as his pupil. To this day, he maintains a close relationship with the BJJ legend, with him having trained Ortega during much of his combat sport journey, even during his rise to contender status in the UFC. 

While unable to compete in sanctioned amateur contests due to his age, Ortega began partaking in underground bouts when he was just 15. Over the next several years, the fledgling combatant racked up more than ten wins, eventually attracting the attention of prominent boxing coach James Luhrsen, whose teachings evolved Ortega into a strong and complete martial artist. 

Brian Ortega’s Road To the UFC

Beginning his professional career in 2010, Ortega made his debut at Gladiator Challenge: Maximum Force, scoring a first round submission victory over John Sassone in almost two minutes. His success in the cage only grew from here, as “T-City” went on to win his next seven fights in a row, netting featherweight titles in both Respect in the Cage and Resurrection Fighting Alliance. 

Blossoming into a promising undefeated prospect, Ortega was called up to the big leagues by the UFC in 2014, originally slated to make the walk to the Octagon on May 31st opposite Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Brandão. However, the Brazilian ended up bowing out from the scrap due to injury, forcing Ortega to wait until July for his freshman Octagon appearance at UFC on Fox 12 in a preliminary card bout with Mike De La Torre. Making a statement in his promotional debut, the Californian quickly tapped out De La Torre in one round.

Although the occasion should have been an amazing moment for Ortega, it was unfortunately marred in controversy after it was revealed he failed his post-event drug test, with the steroid drostanolone being found in his system, forcing him to pay a fine of $2,500. The match was then ruled a no-contest and he was also suspended for nine months, keeping him out of fighting until mid 2015.  

Making his return at UFC Fight Night: Boetsch vs. Henderson, Ortega came to blows with previous lightweight standout Thiago Tavares. Before this contest, Ortega had been known for his exceptional grappling ability, garnering four submission triumphs across his eight wins. Showing a new side to his game, though, he ended up knocking out Tavares late into the third round, making it the first time he ever won a professional fight by strikes. 

First and Second UFC Title Matches for Brian Ortega

Embarking on an empathic rise up the featherweight ladder, Brian Ortega won his next five bouts in a row, toppling a small bevy of company stars like Clay Guida, Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. In the midst of an incredible win streak, “T-City” had proven himself near the head of the pack in the weight class, setting the stage for a pay-per-view main event against then-champion Max Holloway at UFC 231.

Enjoying his own massive amount of success in the division, Holloway had propelled himself into mainstream stardom after starching WEC star Anthony Pettis for the interim championship at UFC 206. He then earned his place as one of the best in the world by both ripping the undisputed title away from long-time featherweight titan José Aldo six months later and defending it against him in a subsequent rematch. 

Unblemished in the cage with six back-to-back stoppages, Brian Ortega was expected to pose a serious threat to the dominant Hawaiian featherweight, but in one of the most lopsided title contests in UFC history, Holloway battered the Californian from start to finish. Receiving nearly 300 significant strikes over 20 minutes, Ortega was ultimately deemed unable to compete by the ringside doctor after sustaining an exorbitant amount of damage to his face, handing Ortega the first loss of his career. 

Brian Ortega Returns After Long Hiatus

Taking a year off from fighting to recover from his beating at the hands of “Blessed,” Ortega was supposed to make his comeback appearance against revered fan-favorite Chan Sung Jung, otherwise known as “The Korean Zombie.” However, the American was unfortunately forced out of the confrontation after getting injured, forcing the pair to wait for nearly another 365 days to finally come to blows, meeting each other at UFC Fight Island 6. Picking right up where he left off, Ortega defeated the Korean super star over the course of five rounds, taking home the clear unanimous decision. 

Reasserting his place near the head of the pack in his weight category, Brian Ortega had secured another chance at the championship, originally meant to tussle with new featherweight gold standard Alexander Volkanovski. Skyrocketing up the rankings since joining the roster in 2016, the Aussie juggernaut absolutely swept the upper echelon of his division, taking out the likes of Chad Mendes and José Aldo. He then capped off his campaign for the belt by dethroning the seemingly unbeatable Holloway, delivering the Hawaiian his first loss at 145-lb in six years. 

Brian Ortega, Alexander Volkanovski Finally Meet After COVID Delay

After their first scheduled duel fell apart due to Volkanovski contracting Covid-19, the two men were cast to serve as coaches on the 29th iteration of The Ultimate Fighter, a season that produced future UFC athletes such as Tresean Gore and Bryan Battle. Later that year, Brian Ortega would at last get his chance at the Australian, locking horns with him at UFC 266. 

Bringing the champion into deep waters early on, “T-City” locked up several submissions that looked to have nearly put the incumbent out, including a hellacious guillotine choke that even Volkanovski admitted was incredibly tight. Bafflingly, the champion wound up surviving all of Brian Ortega’s attempts to tap him, resulting in the Californian gassing himself out, making him easy prey on the feet and on the ground for his opponent. Beaten bloody by the end of the bout, it was Volkanovski that came out on top by unanimous decision. 

Brian Ortega’s Post-Featherweight Championship Endeavors, Current Status

Coming up short in his second bid for promotional gold, Ortega returned to the Octagon that next year in a top contender matchup opposite Mexican standout Yair Rodríguez at UFC on ABC 3. While the striking game of “El Pantera” posed some challenges for the now veteran two-time title challenger, the Gracie representative opted to stifle the assault of Rodríguez by clinching him on the cage wall.

The fight eventually made its way to the canvas, and in one of the most unfortunate accidents in recent years, Ortega’s shoulder came loose, bringing the contest to an end, with Rodríguez getting the TKO win. 

After almost a two-year layoff, Ortega stepped back into the cage at UFC on ESPN+ 95, crossing paths with Rodríguez once again in a much-anticipated rematch. Before the scrap began, though, Ortega seemed to have injured his foot after jumping during his introduction. Adding even more insult to injury, the Mexican ended up knocking down the American in the beginning of their bout, pushing Ortega to the brink. However, Rodríguez appeared to gas himself out going for the early stoppage, allowing Ortega to sink in a spectacular third round submission.

Brian Ortega Sees Fight Cancelled Night of UFC 303

Likely pushing himself near the forefront for the next championship opportunity, Ortega accepted a high-stakes confrontation against the streaking Diego Lopes at UFC 303, with the winner almost certainly being guaranteed a shot at the belt. But disappointment would strike the card the day of the show, as Brian Ortega was deemed unable to compete after becoming ill following his weight cut, with him being replaced by Dan Ige on six hours’ notice. 

The two featherweight mainstays would square off that next September at UFC 306. While he did have his moments in the fight, Ortega was unable to mount much offense against Lopes, who seemed to have “T-City” vastly outmatched in the kickboxing department. Sweeping the contest on all three judges’ scorecards, the Brazilian captured a dominant unanimous decision, handing Ortega his third defeat in four bouts.

Another Adjustment for Brian Ortega Prior to UFC Shanghai

Prior to his upcoming match with Sterling, Brian Ortega again encountered substantial issues with his cut to 145-lb, forcing their co-main event clash to be changed to a 153-lb catchweight. Taking into account his age, and his previous desire to move to lightweight, it would appear that the Californian’s time in the featherweight class may just be nearing its end.

However, despite this controversy, Brian Ortega has more than cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters to never win a UFC championship, giving Volkanovski arguably the toughest test of his first reign.