Brian Ortega broke his silence on Wednesday after enduring a disastrous UFC 303 struggle week that ended with him dropping out of his struggle towards Diego Lopes simply hours earlier than he was scheduled to compete.
The 2-time featherweight title challenger launched a press release addressing the ordeal that started after he accepted the struggle towards Lopes simply two weeks previous to UFC 303 following the withdrawal of unique headliner Conor McGregor. Ortega knew he needed to drop fairly a little bit of weight to get all the way down to the 146-pound restrict for a non-title struggle, however he appeared assured in getting the job completed.
That each one modified after he arrived in Las Vegas for struggle week actions.
“Come struggle week, I felt off and I didn’t really feel proper,” Ortega stated on Instagram. “I assumed it was simply the residual results from the [weight] reduce. I used to be 178 kilos once I accepted this struggle on 15 days’ discover. Thursday evening after seven straight hours, I couldn’t break 151 kilos. Later, I’d discover out that I used to be battling a fever and I couldn’t break into the ultimate 5 kilos as my physique began to close down.
“Fairly than risking enormous well being penalties, and probably calling the struggle off, fortunately we have been capable of transfer the burden to 155. At weigh-ins, I nonetheless felt off however I used to be positive it might go away after I rehydrated and ate.”
Regardless of an additional 10-pound allowance, Ortega nonetheless didn’t bounce again from the burden reduce. He actually began feeling sick in a single day main into Saturday’s scheduled struggle.
“In a while that evening, I nonetheless felt off and was affected by chilly sweats and no sleep,” Ortega wrote. “Lastly, I really feel asleep at 6 a.m. Saturday morning and wakened at 1 p.m. hoping to really feel higher. I couldn’t preserve any meals or water down nor may I rise up to make use of the restroom.”
Lastly realizing that he was coping with an sickness on prime of the struggles he had together with his weight reduce, Ortega known as to tell his supervisor and UFC that he simply couldn’t struggle.
“I struggled with my very own ego, bought on a name with Tiki [Ghosn] and Hunter [Campbell], and I made the choice to name off the struggle,” Ortega stated. “I dared to do one thing loopy for the love of preventing however I bought sick and my physique gave out on me. I need to give the followers and my opponents my finest efficiency each time I step into the cage.”
Ortega additionally addressed Lopes straight after Lopes initially reduce all the way down to featherweight, then gained a couple of kilos to compete at light-weight, then finally bought a completely completely different opponent in Dan Ige simply hours earlier than he was scheduled to compete.
“Diego Lopes, I can solely think about what went off in your aspect, you don’t have anything however my respect and I’ll speak to Hunter and and Tiki and make this proper by you,” Ortega stated. “To the UFC, Dana [White], Hunter and the followers, thanks for having my again.”
Lopes has acknowledged his curiosity in working it again with Ortega as long as the struggle occurs at featherweight, however it stays to be seen if UFC nonetheless needs to ebook that matchup. As for Ortega, he beforehand stated he deliberate to finally transfer to light-weight, however didn’t straight tackle his future within the assertion offered on Wednesday.
