Brian Ortega reflects on UFC Shanghai weigh-in debacle that led to lightweight move: ‘This one scared me a little bit’
MMA Fighting • • sports
Key Points:
- Brian Ortega experienced a serious weight-cutting scare before his last fight against Aljamain Sterling, passing out and waking up in an emergency room, which led to their bout being moved to a 153-pound catchweight.
- Ortega acknowledged the incident as a wake-up call and indicated that his days fighting at featherweight (145 pounds) might be over due to the health risks involved.
- Although not ruling out a future return to featherweight, Ortega plans to compete at lightweight (155 pounds) going forward to focus more on training rather than extreme dieting and weight management.
- Ortega was scheduled to fight Renato Moicano at lightweight earlier this year but withdrew due to injury; he is open to rescheduling the bout, having previously defeated Moicano in 2017.
- Ortega emphasized that moving up to lightweight will allow for a healthier camp environment and better preparation, aiming to train and improve without the stress of drastic weight cuts.
