Brian Ortega is a lucky man.
The former UFC featherweight title challenger will face Diego Lopes at Noche UFC at The Sphere in Las Vegas this weekend. The pair were originally slated to meet at UFC 303 in a short notice bout booked when Conor McGregor was forced off the card due to an injury. Unfortunately, a drastic weight cut forced Ortega off the card the day of the fight and Dan Ige famously replaced him on a few hours' notice.
It was a stunning turn of events and Ortega is now rebooked against Lopes on one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. Looking back, Ortega is thankful that the UFC allowed him to pull out because things could have ended very badly for the Mexican American.
"I've been in situations before where I got peer-pressured into fighting and it turned out good for me," Ortega told ESPN.
"T-City" accepted the fight weighing 178 pounds and needed to cut down to 145 pounds in 15 days. The morning of the weigh-in, the fight was bumped up to 155 pounds due to Ortega's weight struggles, but he was ultimately pulled from the fight just hours before it was set to happen.
"This was different. I had never been in a situation where I was that heavy two weeks out from a fight," Ortega said. "My diet guy told me that it was crazy and if I did it that I had to basically starve myself. People asked why I would put myself through that for a lower-ranked opponent. We went for it. But the UFC said that the last thing they wanted to do was make me fight (in this shape) and they figured it out."
Ortega said the decision to pull him from the fight may have saved his career. Despite being in terrible physical condition, he was fully prepared to drag himself into the Octagon and hope that adrenaline kicked in once the fight started.
"I couldn't get out of bed that morning," he recalled. "But I was banking on adrenaline. I told myself to imagine if somebody broke into my house right now. I would have to fight them whether I wanted to or not. I was mentally trying to convince myself to step into the Octagon."
Fortunately, the UFC stepped in, and Ortega now finds himself on what could potentially be the biggest fight card of the year.
"You hear things about how the UFC doesn't care for its fighters and will throw you in there regardless of how you feel or look," Ortega said. "But on that day, I could tell that they were looking out for me and I'm thankful for that."
Ortega revealed that he wasn't paid for the attempt to cut weight and make the fight. However, he was reimbursed for a vacation to Alaska that he had to cancel at the last minute when he accepted the fight with Lopes at UFC 303. Perhaps the bigger reward for trying to save UFC 303 is the opportunity to compete on Mexican Independence Day with a full training camp.
"I wish things didn't play out the way they did but I can't cry over spilled milk," he said. "We had time to properly diet and go in the lab to properly cook up something for this guy. We're both roosters and the only word that I have for Saturday night is 'action.'"