Brian Ortega picked up his fifth straight win inside the Octagon last night (Sat. Dec. 9, 2017) inside Save Mart Arena in Fresno California by defeating Cub Swanson via guillotine choke in round two if their headlining bout.
In doing so, “T-City” proved he’s the real deal — so says Dana White — and put the Featherweight division on notice: If your coming to fight me, be prepared for a tough day at the office.
After his win, the 26-year old showed just how humble and respectful he is of those that came before him, as he said he wanted to see Frankie Edgar get his title shot against Max Holloway — which he lost due to an injury — before he starts calling for his own championship fight. It’s a sentiment he reiterated during the post-fight press conference via MMA Fighting.
“I’m still trying to figure it out,” Ortega said when asked what was next. “I know Frankie got injured. I’m not sure how long it’ll take to patch him up again. I’m respectful for the shot he’s earned. Hopefully he recovers, he’ll have a speedy recovery and fights Holloway. Hopefully, maybe I’ll get the winner of that. If not, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing,” he concluded.
Classy.
Of course, should “The Answer” indeed be matched up against Max next, It would behoove Brian to take another fight in the interim or risk sitting out for an extended period of time. That said, I’d like to see “T-City” face off against Ricardo Lamas, assuming “The Bully” can get past Josh Emmett next weekend (Sat., Dec. 16, 2017) at UFC on FOX 26.
The matchup is great on all fronts, but Ricardo needs to handle his business first. Looking at the 145-pound landscape, there is really nothing else that makes sense fro Ortega at the moment when talking about title implications.
Of course, should Emmet upset Lamas, then there is no telling what the promotion will do with Ortega. So all we can do is play the waiting game for the time being. Still, the future is bright for Ortega, as UFC president Dana White couldn’t stop singing his praises afterward, labeling him “the future” following his latest win.
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