Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
“I was like, you know what? Fuck it, cut the hair. It went 146.5. Coach had the knife in his hand. Then that thing went ‘Click!’ 146.” —Brian Ortega at the UFC 214 weigh ins, July 2017
UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega debuted a new look ahead of his Chan Sung Jung fight, which takes place in the UFC Fight Island 6 main event this Sat. night (Oct. 17, 2020) inside Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
And speaking as a guy with a slightly receding hairline, it’s always hard to watch someone with a a long, silky mane go under the clippers, but “T-City” is donating his hair to Locks of Love for children undergoing chemotherapy.
That’s according to ESPN.
That said, not everyone is convinced Ortega was acting selflessly. MMA fans, known for their measured, well-researched opinions, insist “T-City” shaved his head in order to make weight for this weekend’s “Korean Zombie” fight.
“They cut his hair quick fast too so he could make weight, not to donate to some sham charity,” one user wrote, while another said “Looks like shit and was done last minute. Cut it to make weight and is donating it.”
Ortega previously considered cutting his hair to make weight at UFC 214.
Regardless of his motivation, what we can say for certain is that Ortega shaved his head and will donate the hair to charity. He may also end up donating some blood on Sat. night against one of the most savage fighters in the featherweight division.
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