"The world saw what I'm made of" - Brian Ortega on his devastating loss to Max Holloway
Brian Ortega believes that his performance against Max Holloway at UFC 231 showcased his sheer resilience. According to the no. 2 UFC featherweight, the fact that he could emphatically withstand the firepower of Max Holloway reflected his 'warrior' mindset.
Ortega is currently preparing for his upcoming fight against Alexander Volkanovski. The two featherweights are set to collide on March 27 at UFC 260.
During his recent interview with Morning Kombat, Brian Ortega looked back on his devastating loss against Holloway. 'T-City' focussed more on the positives despite the crushing nature of his defeat, saying in this regard:
"The world saw what I'm made of. They saw something that you don't really see in MMA. When everything is going bad, everyone is thrown at you, and everything is going to sh*t, do you call it quits or you keep on going? Then I had to show the world that I am legitimately a human being and a warrior that will fu****g die on his shield. No bulls**t. So, to this day, if I wanna fu****g die, I wanna die in there (octagon). That's just what I love doing, that's my fu****g love. That's my wife. I wanna die in her arms. I could fu****g lose, but that's still how I feel. That's still who I am."
The fight Brian Ortega was referring to was the main event of UFC 231 in December 201 against Max Holloway. Ortega delivered a performance of a lifetime, as he landed 290 significant strikes during the fight - a mark that Holloway surpassed in 2021.
After the ringside doctors found Brian Ortega unfit to continue, Holloway was declared the winner via doctor stoppage at the end of the fourth round.
Brian Ortega on what will it take for him to beat Alexander Volkanovski
Brian Ortega is set to have a crack at the UFC featherweight belt for the second time against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 260.
In the interview with Morning Kombat, Brian Ortega also said that he would need 'all the tools in his bag' to overpower his Australian opponent:
"You're gonna need it all. To face the best, you need everything. You need competitiveness, you need heart, you need warriorness, you need intelligence, you need everything. You're gonna show up to a world championship fight, you don't show up with one, you show up with all your tools in the bag. You don't go in there leaving some sh*t behind, you take everything with you, because you don't know what you're gonna need. We got to be ready for everything," said Brian Ortega.
Brian Ortega's last fight was against Chan Sung Jung in October last year. T-City outclassed 'The Korean Zombie' to earn a convincing unanimous decision victory.