Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight contender, Brian Ortega, was lucky enough to avoid surgery for the ACL tear he suffered earlier this month, which got him tossed from the UFC Busan main event against Chan Sung Jung.
That means “T-City” will be ready to go after just two more months of rehab, though it’s safe to say the featherweight division will look dramatically different since we’ve last seen him, thanks to Alexander Volkanovski’s upset at UFC 245.
“I’m already doing things on it,” Ortega told UFC Unfiltered (via MMA Junkie). “They said two more months of rehab. I’ve been rehabbing everyday, and right now I’m working – I’m pretty much doing everything I used to do but around the injury. While I’m rehabbing the injury, I’m still keeping up my same program. I’m still eating the same things. I’m still working out – like, I’m still moving. The other day I woke up at 165 still, like my body’s ready for war.”
Ortega (14-1, 1 NC) has not competed since getting stopped by Max Holloway at UFC 231 roughy one year back. “T-City” remains ranked in the No. 2 spot and is likely one or two big wins away from another crack at the 145-pound crown.
That sounds simple enough, but things are a bit complicated now that Holloway has been dethroned by Volkanovski, especially if “Blessed” gets an immediate rematch. That said, Ortega still has two months (or more) before he can do anything about it.