Brian Ortega reveals how he prepared for the offense that dropped Chan Sung Jung
Brian Ortega made a triumphant return to the Octagon earlier in the month, with an impressive victory over Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Island 6.
Brian Ortega impressed the MMA community by putting on a spectacular striking display against what many believed was the better striker in The Korean Zombie.
Among many brilliant strikes and combinations, Brian Ortega stunned The Korean Zombie with a spinning back elbow which dropped him. There was no looking back for "T-City" after that.
In the latest edition of The Gracie Breakdown, Ortega discussed his elbow with his long-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, Rener Gracie.
When Rener asked Ortega about how much he was practicing that elbow, he replied stating he was prepared to execute to offense.
“We were practicing it man, Dino filmed a lot of training and everything down to the week of the fight in the hotel room training, down all the way to the walkout, training room. ESPN released some footage of me practicing that elbow and when I got [in the Octagon], it was happening.”
Ortega also mentioned that it "sucked" missing out of the guillotine. But, he said he was happy for it, because it proved that Jung was ready for it and that he respected his Jiu-Jitsu a lot.
"T-City" was making a return to the UFC after almost two years, having last fought for the Featherweight belt against former 145-pound champion, Max Holloway. Ortega was brutalized by Holloway for four rounds, forcing the referee to stop the fight after the end of the fourth round.
While Brian’s BJJ was always world-class, his striking was found wanting and he received criticism from many experts for his lack of striking prowess. It seems like he has worked hard towards his striking and we will witness Brian Ortega 2.0 in all his fights going forward.
Brian Ortega set to take on Alexander Volkonovski for the UFC Featherweight title
Brian Ortega’s fight against Jung was to determine the No. 1 contender for Alexander Volkanovski’s next opponent.
There was speculation that Alexander may fight Holloway a third time. Many believed that "Blessed" should have gotten the nod on the judges’ scorecard in their rematch. UFC president Dana White, however, confirmed that a third fight between the two will not take place.
There were rumors of Henry Cejudo coming out of retirement to face Volkanovski as well, but nothing materialized.
Brian Ortega, therefore, is next for Volkanovski and with his significantly improved striking, the bout promises to be a mouth-watering affair.
Let us know in the comments who you see having an advantage in their encounter.