Brian Ortega

UFC 222 Could Be Canceled Without Replacement Title Fight

With news surfacing last weekend that featherweight champion Max Holloway had been forced out of his UFC 222 main event against Frankie Edgar, the UFC was left scrambling to find a suitable headliner for the March 3 pay-per-view. A bantamweight rematch between champion TJ Dillashaw and former champ Cody Garbrandt was rumored but was thrown aside by […]

The post UFC 222 Could Be Canceled Without Replacement Title Fight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

A bantamweight rematch between champion TJ Dillashaw and former champ Cody Garbrandt was rumored but was thrown aside by Dillashaw, who said he wasn’t prepared and that ‘No Love’ had to work his way back to a title shot. Edgar, meanwhile, was tabbed to face surging featherweight Brian Ortega on the card despite rumors of him also facing Garbrandt, and it appears that fight is still close to a reality.

However, the event itself may not be, as MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani reported earlier today that although Edgar vs. Ortega looks close to official, UFC 222 could be changed to a Fight Night card with that fight headlining if a PPV-level title fight is not able to be booked. With Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt II off the books, an attempt to book women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg also unsuccessful, and viable options wearing thin as time grows short, the event could possibly be canceled altogether as a last resort:

Edgar vs Ortega is all but done. The question now is whether it’s the main event or not. If UFC can’t find a title fight to headline 3/3 (and thus far no luck), there’s a good chance they’ll turn the PPV into a Fight Night and have Edgar-Ortega be a 5-rounder. (Cont’d)

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 6, 2018

Doesn’t appear as though Dillashaw-Garbrandt will happen on 3/3. They also tried to book Cyborg-Kunitskaya but that’s not happening either. Canceling the card altogether is also on the table. They tried to book Edgar-Ortega on the Orlando card to beef that up but it’s too soon.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 6, 2018

So, lots still up in the air. Last resort is to cancel the card. They’d rather not turn it into a Fight Night but they’ll have to if they can’t produce a title fight and right now there just aren’t many title fight options for less than a month away. Developing.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 6, 2018

So much is still up in the air for UFC 222, but true top-level options in terms of a legitimate title fight on such short notice are few and far between – if available at all.

It may only be February, but the UFC has already seen two title fights fall apart due to injury, not a great sign for a year where they need headliners to go off without a hitch arguably more than ever.

Will they be able to save UFC 222?

The post UFC 222 Could Be Canceled Without Replacement Title Fight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

10 UFC Fighters Set For Stardom In 2018

The UFC has become a star-driven business over the years, and as we move into 2018 there are a number of fighters who are vying to become the next big thing in the promotion. In this article, we’ll home in on ten fighters who have shown the potential make a big impact in the coming […]

The post 10 UFC Fighters Set For Stardom In 2018 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

The UFC has become a star-driven business over the years, and as we move into 2018 there are a number of fighters who are vying to become the next big thing in the promotion.

In this article, we’ll home in on ten fighters who have shown the potential make a big impact in the coming year, from breakthrough prospects poised to take the next step towards stardom to established talents who are on the verge of becoming major draws for the UFC.

Brian ’T-City’ Ortega has been tipped as a star of the future for some time now, and 2018 looks like being the year that could see him fulfill that destiny.

Ortega breezed through 2017 with his unbeaten career record still intact at 13-0-1, while also earning the biggest victory to date by submitting Cub Swanson via guillotine choke in December.

That fight proved to be another Brazilian jiu-jitsu masterclass and it marked the 26-year-old’s fifth win in a row inside the Octagon, taking him to No.3 in the featherweight rankings and on the verge of title contention heading into the new year.

Ortega also has the kind of look and laid-back personality that suggests widespread popularity could be within his grasp, and Dana White is known to be a big believer in his ability to become a big star.

”The kid is incredible and he is absolutely, positively the future,” White declared after his latest victory, while also praising him for being a “grounded, humble, down-to-earth kid,” who told the UFC president immediately after his latest victory that he wants to use his growing reputation to do charity work.

The post 10 UFC Fighters Set For Stardom In 2018 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Josh Emmett Suggests Title Eliminator Against Brian Ortega

Josh Emmett feels he’s in prime position for a title eliminator. Emmett is coming off a devastating first-round knockout win over Ricardo Lamas. The finish sent Emmett all the way up to the fifth spot on the official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight rankings. He was previously unranked. Another featherweight who has made some noise […]

10 Fighters Who Took the UFC by Storm During 2017

By now we’ve all heard the takes about how 2017 was a down year for the UFC.
With all of its biggest draws either easing into semi-retirement, suspended for one reason or another or out chasing big-money boxing matches, the world’s largest MMA promoter…

By now we’ve all heard the takes about how 2017 was a down year for the UFC.

With all of its biggest draws either easing into semi-retirement, suspended for one reason or another or out chasing big-money boxing matches, the world’s largest MMA promoter had to make do with what it had on hand.

The results—with a few notable exceptions—were largely forgettable. As the year comes to a close, combat sports fans are more likely to remember 2017 for Conor McGregor’s wild boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., than anything that actually happened inside the Octagon.

Not that it was all bad.

Some people made the best of it. In fact, some of the UFC’s top up-and-coming talent had themselves great years.

Here’s a look at which fighters took the Octagon by storm during 2017 and what might be ahead for them in 2018.

Begin Slideshow

Dana White: No Way Ortega Jumps Over Frankie For Title Shot

If you thought Brian Ortega was getting the next shot at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight gold, think again. In the main event of UFC Fight Night 123, Ortega submitted Cub Swanson in the second round. Many felt a victory would mean le…

Cub Swanson Says Brian Ortega’s Choke Felt Like Death

Cub Swanson admits Brian Ortega has quite the guillotine choke. This past Saturday night (Dec. 9), Ortega and Swanson did battle inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The featherweight clash served as UFC Fight Night 123’s main event…