Ortega goes bald for UFC Fight Island 6 weigh ins

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

Brian Ortega has shed his trademark locks, for a good cause.

You couldn’t be blamed for not recognizing one of UFC Fight Island 6’s headlining fighters at the weigh-ins, today. And that’s not because the UFC’s weekly shows are featuring less and less well-known fighters.

It’s because Brian Ortega, who fights Chan Sung Jung tomorrow, is usually seen sporting a silken mane of hazel coloured hair — often braided when competing. But not anymore. Ahead of hitting the scales for his Fight Island featherweight number one contender bout T-City decided to change his look.

When he stepped in front the media he showed off a freshly shaved dome.

According to Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Ortega shaved his head so he could donate his famous hair to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatment for cancer. That was relayed to Okamoto by Ortega’s manager Tiki Ghosn.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen hair chopped off just before weigh-ins. In 2016 Invicta FC fighter Samantha Diaz cut off her long hair to ensure she made weight for her strawweight fight at Invicta FC 20, versus recently signed UFC fighter Miranda Maverick. The haircut, performed backstage by longtime fight photographer Esther Lin, helped Diaz lose the 0.2 lbs she needed to make weight. Diaz went on to lose to Maverick by first round submission.