"Looked like he saw a ghost" - Dana White reacts to Brian Ortega rolling his ankle at UFC Mexico before Yair Rodriguez fight even started
Brian Ortega got back in the win column for the first time in nearly three and a half years as he defeated Yair Rodriguez via third-round submission at UFC Fight Night 237. While 'T-City' rolled his ankle during Bruce Buffer's pre-fight introduction, he was able to battle through and stake claim to a potential title opportunity, assuming Alexander Volkanovski takes some time off.
Dana White revealed that he thought the bout would be over quickly before praising the No.4-ranked featherweight. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, the UFC CEO stated:
"Did you see him roll his ankle before the [fight] when he was jumping up and down? I saw that happen and then he looked like he saw a ghost after that and I thought it was going to be over quick and then you remember - Brian Ortega, who's mentally and physically right, is a problem for anybody."
Check out Dana White's comments on Brian Ortega's pre-fight injury below:
When asked if Ortega and Volkanovski were the top two choices to challenge Ilia Topuria in his first featherweight title defense, White refused to commit to a direction. 'The Great' will likely receive an immediate rematch, provided he doesn't take a break after suffering back-to-back knockout losses.
'T-City' acknowledged that he is aware it is Volkanovski's fight if he wants it. He did, however, note that he would be ready to go to Spain if the long-time featherweight champion did not return immediately.
Brian Ortega reveals thoughts after rolling ankle
While Brian Ortega was able to defeat Yair Rodriguez via third-round submission at UFC Fight Night 237, he nearly suffered an injury prior to the bout. 'T-City' opened up on the incident, which saw him roll his ankle during introductions, at the post-fight press conference, stating:
"Bruce was introducing me, and I jumped up and when I landed I rolled my ankle. I was like, 'Oh shoot.' I looked at my coach, and I was like, 'Bro, this is bad.' And he was like, 'Don't you effing worry about that!' He was just telling me to get in the zone."
Ortega noted that he was trying to move his ankle as his opponent was introduced before adding:
"I'd be lying if I said that panic didn't set in for a bit. Obviously, I started off. Right off the bat, I started off, and I got clipped and I paid the price for not being in the zone and not focused on what I was supposed to do."
Check out Brian Ortega's comments on his pre-fight ankle roll below:
While Ortega came out slow and lost the first round, he regained his composure by the end of the round, landing a takedown. After a dominant second round, he finished the fight by submitting Rodriguez in the third round.