Brian Ortega (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. He currently competes in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, th ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional since 2010, Ortega has also competed in the RFA, where he was the Featherweight Champion. As of July 18, 2022, he is #3 in the UFC featherweight rankings.

Background

Ortega was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

; he is of

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

descent and possesses dual nationality, as both his parents are from

Hermosillo Hermosillo (), formerly called Pitic (as in ''Santísima Trinidad del Pitic'' and ''Presidio del Pitic''), is a city located in the center of the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the municipal seat of the Hermosillo municipality, the ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. He grew up in a Section 8 housing project of San Pedro, California. Brian started learning martial arts when he was 5 years old at Al Martinez Muay Thai Kickboxing in Wilmington, CA. When he turned 13, he began training

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy under Rorion Gracie, and his sons Ryron, Rener, and Ralek Gracie in

Torrance, California Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay region of the metropolitan area. Torrance has of beachfront on the Pacific O ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

When Ortega was 17, he met boxing coach James Luhrsen, who took him in and trained him in striking skills. Ortega began his career competing for regional promotions exclusively in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

. He won his first pro-MMA championship against Carlos Garces in a five-round bout via unanimous decision, becoming the Respect In The Cage featherweight champion.Respect in the Cage Featured Fighters
URL accessed on October 11, 2011. Ortega went on to compile an undefeated record of 8–0 before signing with the UFC in April 2014. He credited his success to support and love from James Luhrsen and Rener Gracie.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ortega was expected to make his promotional debut against

Diego Brandão Diego Pereira Brandão (born 27 May 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2005, he formerly competed for the UFC, RIZIN, and Fight Nights Global. He was the winner of ...

on May 31, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale. However, Brandao pulled out of the bout in the days leading up to the event citing an injury. Due to the late nature of the change, officials did not try to find a replacement and Ortega was pulled from the card as well. Ortega eventually made his debut on July 26, 2014 at

UFC on Fox 12 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

against Mike De La Torre. Originally, a first round submission (rear-naked choke) win for Ortega, the result was changed to "

No Contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant ne ...

" after Ortega tested positive for

drostanolone Drostanolone, or dromostanolone, is an anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) of the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) group which was never marketed. An androgen ester prodrug of drostanolone, drostanolone propionate, was formerly used in the treatment ...

during a post fight screening. Subsequently, Ortega was fined $2,500 and suspended for nine months. Ortega faced Thiago Tavares on June 6, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 68. He won the back-and-forth fight via TKO in the third round. Both participants were awarded ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Ortega faced

, who is a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, on January 2, 2016, at

UFC 195 ''UFC 195: Lawler vs. Condit'' was a mixed martial arts event held on January 2, 2016, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to feature a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between then-und ...

. After being down against Diego's striking for the first two rounds, Ortega rallied and won via triangle choke in the third round. At UFC 199 on June 4, 2016, Ortega defeated

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to the UFC competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikefo ...

by KO in the third round. After winning the first round, Guida won the second round and looked to have the third won until Ortega rallied and won via a flying knee near the end of the round. Ortega was expected to face Hacran Dias on October 1, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 96 ''UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 96'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on October 1, 2016, at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. Background The even ...

. However, Ortega pulled out of the fight in early September and was replaced by Andre Fili. Ortega next faced

Renato Moicano Renato Alves Carneiro better known as Renato Moicano (born May 21, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2010, Moicano made a ...

on July 29, 2017, at

UFC 214 ''UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on July 29, 2017 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A PPV event was initially planned for Anaheim on Janu ...

. He won the back and forth fight via submission in the third round with a guillotine choke, while both fighters were awarded Fight of the Night bonus. Ortega faced

Cub Swanson Kevin Luke "Cub" Swanson (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2004, Swanson holds the most ...

on December 9, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 123 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 123'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 9, 2017, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Background ...

. He was victorious in the fight, winning in the second round by guillotine choke submission. The finish put Ortega's streak at five straight fights won with a finish, which at the time was the second longest current win streak in the UFC featherweight division behind the champion,

Max Holloway Jerome Max Keli'i Holloway (born December 4, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2010, Holloway became the ...

. The win also earned him the Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night honors. Ortega faced

Frankie Edgar Frankie Edgar (born October 16, 1981) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Beginning his career in the Lightweight division, ...

on March 3, 2018, at

UFC 222 ''UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background A ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. In doing so, he became the first man to ever finish Edgar in MMA. This win earned him the

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

bonus. Ortega was scheduled to face

for the

UFC Featherweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classes ...

ship on July 7, 2018, at

UFC 226 ''UFC 226: Miocic vs. Cormier'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on July 7, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area. Background The event too ...

. However, on July 4, Holloway was pulled from the fight due to "concussion like symptoms". Hence, Ortega scratched from the fight after Holloway's withdrawal. The fight against

eventually took place on December 8, 2018, in the main event at

UFC 231 ''UFC 231: Holloway vs. Ortega'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on December 8, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Featherweight Championship bout between ...

. Ortega lost the fight by doctor stoppage at the end of the fourth round. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Ortega was scheduled to face

Chan Sung Jung Jung Chan-sung ( ko, 정찬성; born March 17, 1987), anglicized as Chan Sung Jung and better known by his ring name The Korean Zombie, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He currently competes in the Featherweig ...

on December 21, 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 23 ''UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 165'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 23'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 21, 2019 at Sajik Arena in ...

. However, Ortega pulled out of the fight in early December citing a knee injury. The bout against Jung eventually took place on October 18, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie. Dropping Jung multiple times, Ortega won the one sided match by unanimous decision. Ortega was scheduled for a

UFC Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

bout against current

Alexander Volkanovski Alexander Volkanovski (born 29 September 1988) is an Australian mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. He is al ...

on March 27, 2021 at

UFC 260 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, the fight was cancelled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

protocols. On April 2, 2021 it was announced that

and Ortega will be the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 29 at

ESPN+ ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The c ...

and the show will feature contestants at bantamweight and middleweight. Ortega faced

on September 25, 2021 at

UFC 266 ''UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on September 25, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

for the

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award. Ortega faced

Yair Rodríguez Yair Raziel Rodríguez Portillo (born October 6, 1992) is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Rodríguez has been with the UFC since 2014 a ...

on July 16, 2022, at

UFC on ABC 3 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He lost the fight via TKO at the end of the first round after suffering a dislocated shoulder which rendered him unable to continue.

Championships and accomplishments

** Fight of the Night (Five times) **

(Two times) * Resurrection Fighting Alliance **RFA Featherweight Champion (one time) * World MMA Awards **2017 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year * MMAJunkie.com **2015 June Fight of the Month vs. Thiago Tavares **2021 September Fight of the Month vs.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

*MMA Mania **2021 Fight of the Year vs.

*MMA Sucka **2021 Fight of the Year vs.

Controversies

UFC 248 Incident

On March 8, 2020, a police report was filed against Ortega for allegedly slapping rapper Jay Park, translator for

(Korean Zombie), at UFC 248.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 15–3 (1) ,

, TKO (shoulder injury) , UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodríguez , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:11 ,

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the 2 ...

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, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

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, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dha ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–1 (1) ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) ,

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Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

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, KO (punch) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:44 ,

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, Submission (guillotine choke) , UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:22 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 (1) ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:59 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 (1) ,

, KO (knee) , UFC 199 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:40 ,

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

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, Submission (triangle choke) ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

Jordan Rinaldi Jordan Rinaldi (born September 25, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist. He was the welterweight Complete Devastation champion. Rinaldi competed in featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Rinaldi was b ...

, Submission (triangle choke) , RFA 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyt ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Vincent Martinez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Respect In The Cage 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:54 ,

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San Jacinto, California San Jacinto ( ; ; Spanish for " St. Hyacinth") is a city in Riverside County, California. It is located at the north end of the San Jacinto Valley, with Hemet to its south and Beaumont, California, to its north. The mountains associated with ...

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ortega, Brian 1991 births American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent American male mixed martial artists American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in mixed martial arts Featherweight mixed martial artists People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu Living people People from Torrance, California Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters People from San Pedro, Los Angeles Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu