Brian Ortega stunned the world this week. First of all, he shaved off his luscious locks to shatter the hearts of his swooning female fans. Then he produced an exceptional performance to defeat Chan Sung Jung in Las Vegas. However, nobody expected him to perform in the manner he did against one of the featherweight division’s best strikers.
“The Korean Zombie” was the bookmaker’s favorite coming into this fight after his unbelievable win over Frankie Edgar last year in his homeland. After Max Holloway dissected Ortega in 2018, many people wrote ‘T-City’ off. But in the two years since he last fought, he has clearly developed his game.
Instead of using his exceptional BJJ game to win the game, Ortega produced a striking masterclass. In sum, it’s a stunning turnaround from his last fight. Check out the highlights of this great display below. Will Ortega fight for the title next? Champion Alexander Volkanovski believes so.
Catch and fire 💥@BrianTcity put Zombie on the canvas in Round 1 at #UFCFightIsland6 pic.twitter.com/wJEH7EEp0U
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 18, 2020
Clinical
Ortega did produce a brilliant uppercut KO against Frankie Edgar but he is not famous for his striking. However, he ripped up his fighter profile by lighting the Zombie up. Jung started hot in round one but Ortega found his distance and even dropped him with a massive overhand to snatch the round.
The second round saw both men exchange shots. The Korean Zombie landed hard shots but Ortega was clinical. He also scored a takedown at the end of the round. In short, the Zombie wasn’t able to adapt his game to Ortega’s approach. The highlight reel moment was when Ortega dropped his opponent with a stunning spinning elbow.
OUT OF NOWHERE 🤯@BrianTcity landed the spinning elbow to make Zombie pay at #UFCFightIsland6 pic.twitter.com/7OrkCHgBHg
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 18, 2020
Dominant
Round three turned into a kickboxing match. They were happy to trade kick for kick. However, Ortega clearly got the better of his Korean foe and dominated him. Jung struggled to cope with ‘T-City’s’ movement and couldn’t land efficiently.
The championship rounds saw much of the same from both men. Ortega led the dance while the Zombie continued to struggle. He knew in the fifth stanza that he needed a KO, but was unable to get close to one. In the end, it was an outstanding victory for the former championship challenger. This was the win that he needed to remind the world of his ability.
50-45
50-45
50-45Brian Ortega puts on a clinical performance and takes the unanimous decision at #UFCFightIsland6 👏 pic.twitter.com/EeYjjGsOO8
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) October 18, 2020
Contender
Meanwhile, clarity has emerged in the featherweight division. It looks like Brian Ortega will fight for the title for a second time. There was no clear-cut contender before this point after Max Holloway lost his rematch to Volkanovski. “Blessed” may fight Zabit Magomedsharipov next if the Russian doesn’t face Yair Rodriguez. Anyone of those three could enter the title picture if they can produce a dominant enough display.
But now Ortega is out in front. Some fans don’t like it after two years out but the truth is that everybody else needs a statement win before they can fight for the crown. Meanwhile, Volkanovski is more than happy to defend his title against somebody not named Max Holloway. He tweeted:
“Finally we have some direction in this division, get in there and take that #1 spot….that’s all I wanted!! #ufcfightisland6″
