Tag: Brian Ortega

REPORT | Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez In The Works

Brian OrtegaBrian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez are reportedly being targeted by the UFC in what will be an electric fight at 145lbs. The two featherweights are known for emphatic wars, and should this fight come to fruition it will surely help grease the chains in a division lacking serious movement at the top. Ariel Helwani first […]

Brian Ortega

Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez are reportedly being targeted by the UFC in what will be an electric fight at 145lbs.

The two featherweights are known for emphatic wars, and should this fight come to fruition it will surely help grease the chains in a division lacking serious movement at the top.

Ariel Helwani first reported the news, and it’s unclear the date of this competition and if it’ll be the main event match or not for whatever card it lands on.

Brian Ortega vs Yair Rodriguez: Insanity Will Ensue

Brian Ortega (15-2, 7-2-1NC UFC) is currently enduring the hardest chapter in his career right now, 1-2 in his last three fights. “T-City” made his UFC debut on an eight-fight win streak and won via rear-naked choke submission. However, this would be overturned to a “No Contest” after Ortega tested positive for anabolic steroids.

After this, “T-City” would bounce back and blow through the division, finishing everyone in his path on the way to a title shot against Max Holloway. This would be the beginning of his current 1-2 run and the first of his two losses.

After almost two full years away from the game sharpening his skills, Ortega would make a victorious comeback against Chang Sung Jung and look so improved and refined that he’d get granted another title shot. This time, it was with Alexander Volkanovski, and although Ortega fought to the best of his abilities he’d lose once again in a UFC title fight.

Yair Rodriguez (13-3, 8-2-1NC UFC) is a Mexican-born fighter who always puts a high degree of flair into his battles. Known for his explosive kicks, flying, and spinning attacks, you must expect the unexpected when facing across the octagon from “El Pantera”.

Rodriguez has shared a similar career path to that of Brian Ortega, minus the UFC title fights. He came into the promotion and sprinted his way to the end zone that is his division’s upper echelon, and then met adversity. Frankie Edgar would become his second-ever loss due to a doctor stoppage, and most lately Holloway would defeat him in what was one of the most exciting fights of 2021.

Which man will bounce back and reassert themselves among the featherweight elite? Leave your predictions in the comments below!

Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez Confirmed For July 16 Headliner

A showdown between top UFC featherweight contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez has been confirmed for this summer. This was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on his Substack channel. ESPN Deportes has since confirmed the bout. Ortega lost to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266 via unanimous decision. He nearly secured…

Continue Reading Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez Confirmed For July 16 Headliner at MMA News.

A showdown between top UFC featherweight contenders Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez has been confirmed for this summer.

This was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on his Substack channel. ESPN Deportes has since confirmed the bout.

Ortega lost to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266 via unanimous decision. He nearly secured a submission win on numerous occasions throughout the fight but couldn’t quite pull through over five rounds of action.

Before the loss to Volkanovski, Ortega earned a dominant win over Chan Sung Jung (otherwise known as The Korean Zombie) following a loss to former featherweight champion Max Holloway.

Rodriguez made his return to the Octagon against Holloway at UFC Vegas 42. The two featherweights engaged in a back-and-forth clash with Holloway walking away with a decision win.

Rodriguez had been sidelined for two years following a win over Jeremy Stephens in Oct. 2019. His absence was preceded by impressive wins over BJ Penn and Alex Caceres.

Ortega and Rodriguez have all the makings of putting on a show in their fight. They’re two of the most dangerous featherweights in the UFC who have proven to be versatile in the cage.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez fight?

Continue Reading Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez Confirmed For July 16 Headliner at MMA News.

Brian Ortega Gets “Tracy” Tattooed On Inner Lip For Valentine’s Day

Never let it be said that Brian Ortega is not a romantic. Love was in the air worldwide yesterday during Valentine’s Day. And for UFC featherweight Brian Ortega, it was also on his inner lip. The two-time UFC title challenger went the extra mile on V-Day to show his fiancée, UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez, just…

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Never let it be said that Brian Ortega is not a romantic.

Love was in the air worldwide yesterday during Valentine’s Day. And for UFC featherweight Brian Ortega, it was also on his inner lip.

The two-time UFC title challenger went the extra mile on V-Day to show his fiancée, UFC flyweight Tracy Cortez, just how committed to her he really is.

On his Instagram page, Ortega posted a video of him getting “Tracy” tattooed on his inner lip, thus giving whole new meaning to his nickname of “T-City.”

“All I can say is…I LOVE HER” Ortega wrote in the captions along with a heart-eyes emoji.

Over on the other side of this lovely MMA couple, Tracy Cortez posted the following on her Instagram page to commemorate this special day with her amor.

“Another V’day with my best friend, who would have thought ???????????????? TE AMO CON TODO MI AMOR ??? al fin del día nomas somos TU Y YO ??? POR VIDA!!! Feliz día del amor ?????
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!” Cortez wrote in the captions.

The video shows a montage of some of the couple’s favorite moments shared together set to “I Guess I’m In Love” by Clinton Kane.

Brian Ortega is currently ranked #2 in the UFC’s featherweight division. Most recently, he loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266 in his bid to become world champion. Of course, his love, Tracy Cortez, was there to console him after the heartbreaking defeat.

Tracy Cortez is 3-0 in the UFC with an overall record of 9-1. She last defeated Justin Kish via split decision in April 2021.

More MMA Stars Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Below, you can check out how some other fighters celebrated their Valentine’s Day via The Gram.

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Brian Ortega Tattooed ‘Tracy’ In His Mouth For Valentines Day

Brian OrtegaBrian Ortega decided to go one step above when gifting the love of his life a Valentines Day gift this year. The #2 ranked featherweight is engaged to fellow UFC fighter Tracy Cortez, on February 14th Ortega uploaded a video to his social media sharing the exact moments he had his new tattoo put on. […]

Brian Ortega

Brian Ortega decided to go one step above when gifting the love of his life a Valentines Day gift this year.

The #2 ranked featherweight is engaged to fellow UFC fighter Tracy Cortez, on February 14th Ortega uploaded a video to his social media sharing the exact moments he had his new tattoo put on.

Brian Ortega uploaded the video captioned: “All I can say is….. I LOVE HER”

The responses to Ortega’s gesture were mixed with fans either showing support to Ortega or maybe questioning his decision-making. One fan responded:

 “Damn. Now my girl is gonna see this and she’ll want me to get her name tatted. Fck it! Ima get @desfrvr tatted on my lower back,”

Whilst others didn’t seem so sure about what he had done going on to call the tattoo “Questionable”.

Tracy Cortez didn’t return the favour for Ortega so don’t expect her to be rocking a lip tattoo with the name Brian on anytime soon, but she did upload videos of the pair to her social media enjoying each other’s company and sharing romantic moments.

What’s next for Brian Ortega?

At points during his clash with Alexander Volkanovski, Brian Ortega was seconds away from becoming the UFC featherweight champion. T-City would fall just short losing via decision and doesn’t appear to have a scheduled return date in place yet.  Let’s look at some of the options available for Ortega when he returns.

The first name that comes to mind is Calvin Kattar. After impressing in his performance against Giga Chikadze at the start of the year, Kattar would need to acquire another win or potentially two to earn himself a title shot and if he could best Ortega that would be a solid name to have on his resume. The same can be said for Ortega, looking to return to winning ways having only lost to the two men ranked above you a win over 4th ranked Calvin Kattar would be a huge success for Ortega over a serious contender.

Yair Rodriguez also needs a fight, the 29-year-old last outing saw him lose a decision to Max Holloway and will be looking to bounce back and kickstart his road to the title.

The last option is Dan Hooker, the Australian fights against Arnold Allen on March 19th but has already expressed his interest in taking on Brian Ortega before. Although it would be a big jump up the rankings for Hooker, I think most fans would agree this is a fight we’d like to see.

Who do you think Brian Ortega will face when he returns?

Cejudo: Volkanovski vs. Ortega Is The Greatest Fight In MMA History

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.

At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has se…

Henry Cejudo, UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo believes the UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega is the “greatest fight” in MMA history.

At the start of one of the most memorable sets of final pay-per-views a year has seen in the UFC, reigning featherweight titleholder Volkanovski met with top contender Ortega in the September 25 headliner. The pair were originally set to clash at UFC 260 six months prior, but a positive COVID-19 test forced the Australian out.

In the end, the pair coached the 2021 return of The Ultimate Fighter. Whilst it certainly wasn’t the most thrilling season of the show, it did add an extra pinch of animosity and helped build the matchup more heading into their eventual showdown at UFC 266.

When they did enter the Octagon together, they brought a firework display that is certainly worthy of a spot in the Hall of Fame Fight Wing. Across five rounds, we saw why Volkanovski is unbeaten in the UFC and in his past 20 fights. After five rounds, he successfully defended his title for the second time through a unanimous decision verdict.

But even in defeat, we saw why “T-City” has a spot among the elite at 145 pounds, with two tight submission attempts in the third round providing one of the most memorable frames in history.

Cejudo Believes Volkanovski vs. Ortega Had Everything

In the eyes of many, the UFC 266 main event was certainly a top contender for the Fight of the Year, in the conversation with the likes of Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 268, Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42, and Ji?í Procházka vs. Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25.

But while many didn’t have Volkanovski’s one and only defense of 2021 in their top spot for the year, one former UFC champion had it there and more. Cejudo, who held both flyweight and bantamweight gold simultaneously during his UFC career, believes the memorable September five-rounder was not only the FOTY, but the greatest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.

“The one I really like the most, I’m going to have to go to with Alexander ‘The Average’ (Volkanovski) and Brian Ortega,” Cejudo said on his podcast with The Schmo. “That isn’t, to me in my eyes, the Fight of the Year, but this is the greatest fight in my eyes in mixed martial arts history. It displayed striking, defense, escaping from submissions, takedowns, takedown defense, I mean, it was everywhere.” (h/t BJPenn.com)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYXgZgqpeu3/

Having extended his win streak and featherweight reign with victory over Ortega, Volkanovski is now in need of a next challenger after Max Holloway had to withdraw from their UFC 272 bout.

As fate would have it, Cejudo, who has been lobbying to fight Volkanovski for several months, has thrown his name into the ring as a potential short-notice replacement. If selected, maybe Cejudo will be the one on the other end of an all-time classic against Volkanovski.

Do you agree with Henry Cejudo? Is Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega the greatest fight in MMA history?

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Dan Hooker Wants To Make Featherweight Return Against Brian Ortega

Dan Hooker wants one of the featherweight division’s biggest challenges for his return to the weight class.

Hooker recently revealed that he asked UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to face Brian Ortega for his first featherweight fight since 2016. This co…

Dan Hooker and Brian Ortega (Photo Credits: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC & Zuffa LLC)

Dan Hooker wants one of the featherweight division’s biggest challenges for his return to the weight class.

Hooker recently revealed that he asked UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to face Brian Ortega for his first featherweight fight since 2016. This conversation took place at UFC 269, where Hooker was cornering teammate Kai Kara-France.

Hooker, a regular at lightweight, recently had a successful practice weight cut at featherweight. He posted his successful attempt on Instagram, showing that he was able to meet the 146-pound limit.

Hooker claimed he wanted to join the division with a fight against The Korean Zombie. However, after he was informed that Zombie is injured, he shifted his focus to the two-time title challenger.

“After Kai’s win, [I saw] Sean Shelby on the way out, and that’s the first time I’ve heard from him since the featherweight [post online],” said Hooker in an interview with The Mac Life. “He’s obviously seen it, and he was like, ‘Well, what are you going to do? 55, 45?’ I said yeah, 45. I can make 45 quite comfortably if I get something good. He goes, ‘Who do you want?’ I said ‘Korean Zombie,’ but he’s injured. What about Ortega? He goes, ‘Oh, I’ll have a look. I’ll send you a list.’ I was amped up.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

Potential Fight Gives Hooker & Ortega A Chance To Rebound

Dan Hooker
Dan Hooker (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Dan Hooker’s UFC run initially started at featherweight, competing six times in the weight class from 2014 to 2016. He later shifted to lightweight, where he has competed for his last 12 appearances.

Hooker is planning to drop down a weight class after fighting against some of the top names at lightweight. Over the past year, he has faced former Bellator Champion Michael Chandler and rising lightweight contender Islam Makhachev.

A potential bout against Ortega gives both fighters a chance to bounce back after recently facing defeat. Ortega notably lost a title fight earlier this year, dropping a decision to divisional champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266.

Who do you want Dan Hooker to face in his featherweight debut?

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