Exclusive: Brian Ortega talks about possible fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov and aims for UFC 231
The arrival of UFC 231 has brought with it speculation about which fighter might succeed when Brian 'T-City' Ortega fights 'Blessed' Max Holloway for the UFC Featherweight Championship.
The two MMA fighters were supposed to square off a long time back, but there were delays due to issues with Holloway's health. Now that the fight is finally happening, Ortega has a steely-eyed focus on one goal at the moment.
Thanks to Sony, I had the chance to catch up with Brian Ortega ahead of his fight with Holloway and pose a couple of questions before him. Here's what he had to say.
Q. There has been talk about a super-fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov -- Do you see that happening in 2019?
Ortega: It’s for the boss (Dana) to decide. I concentrate on my next opponent and never look over the horizon. For me, it’s one fight at a time.
Q. Ricardo Lamas talked about fighting the winner of your fight with Holloway -- Do you see yourself in that fight next year?
Ortega: It’s a huge fight and anything can happen this Saturday. The only thing you should never do while entering the octagon is to undermine your opponent. Like I said, for me, it’s one fight at a time and for now it's dethroning Max and winning the title.
Brian Ortega might not be talking about a possible fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the moment, but that would be quite the fight for the fans to see. With him having the chance to win the UFC Featherweight Title at UFC 231, could a possible Undefeated Champion vs. Undefeated Champion fight be on the horizon?
Dana White, we're looking at you.
For that, he will first need to get past Max Holloway, which is exactly where Ortega says his focus is at the moment. He does not plan on undermining his opponent and has a lot of respect for Max Holloway. However, that won't stop him from attempting to dethrone him to win the title at UFC 231.
We'll just have to wait and see.
For now, however, watch UFC 231 Live and Exclusive on Sunday, 9th December 2018 at 8.30 am (IST) on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD.
Follow Sportskeeda for all your MMA Content needs.