UFC 306: Main Takeaway
The Enigma of Brian Ortega
There was plenty of pomp and circumstance surrounding UFC Noche, the promotion’s first card at the futuristic Sphere in Las Vegas that took place last Saturday. It was the first live sporting event featured at the state-of-the-art venue. And the 20 million dollars the UFC paid to put on the card resulted in a brilliantly unique viewer experience. Even though I watched the card from my couch, I was still impressed by all the lights, visuals, and atmosphere on display. I am sure it was even cooler in person.
But regardless of the glitz, the fights still needed to deliver, and a few of them did, although the card wasn't exactly unforgettable. The one performance I want to focus on today is that of Brian "T-City" Ortega, who lost a unanimous decision to rising featherweight contender Diego Lopes.
Lopes-Ortega was originally scheduled for UFC 303 on June 29, but Ortega had to pull out because of an illness. He developed that illness after struggling with the weight cut to 145 pounds because he took the fight on short notice. Unfortunately for Ortega, even a fully healthy version of himself wasn't enough to get by Lopes.
In a fight that took place exclusively on the feet, Ortega was thoroughly outclassed. He was almost finished in the first round after a beautiful combination from Lopes that put him down. It was Ortega's inhuman recuperative powers, durability, and spirit that kept him in the fight. Even though he survived that disastrous opening round and didn't get seriously hurt again until the last minute of the fight, Ortega never hurt Lopes on the feet or put together enough landed shots to change the tenor of the fight.
Most frustrating was Ortega's lack of attempts to take the fight to the mat, where his biggest strength could be utilized. Ortega only attempted two takedowns during the three rounds, both of which Lopes defended. Seeing how Lopes was outstriking Ortega, there should have been more urgency from "T-City" to get a takedown, especially in the final round when he was down two rounds to none.
Ortega's jiu-jitsu is his bread and butter but he has not made it the focal point of his game plans during his recent UFC run, which is disappointing and problematic. Since Ortega joined the UFC in 2014, he has gone 8-4 with four submissions. But he has only scored one submission in seven fights since 2018.
Yes, Ortega has faced elite competition since submitting Cub Swanson in 2017. Going 3-4 against Frankie Edgar, Max Holloway, Chan Sung Jung, Alex Volkanovski, Yair Rodriguez, and Lopes is nothing to be ashamed of.
But it's more how he has lost those fights that alarms me. One could argue that he has the submission grappling advantage over all of those opponents, yet he didn't consistently try to get them to the ground. Outside of the Holloway fight in 2018, who he tried to take down eleven times, he has gone a combined 3/12 in takedowns in three losses against Volk, Rodriguez, and Lopes. Twelve takedown attempts in three fights are not enough, especially considering Ortega is not a decorated wrestler who can depend on fewer takedowns because of his dominant top control.
Don't get me wrong, Ortega's striking has improved significantly over the years and is respectable for someone with a BJJ background. But I think his impressive finishes on the feet against Thiago Tavares, Clay Guida, and Frankie Edgar made him gravitate towards striking to his detriment.
Being a mixed martial artist means being well-rounded and skilled in all facets of the game. You have to be completely comfortable and competent on the feet and on the mat to have any success in the UFC. But I think Ortega has become so comfortable striking that he has neglected his biggest weapon, his jiu-jitsu.
And since he is content to spend much of his fights trading strikes, a light has been shone on his porous defense. Being an adept striker is just as much about defense as offense. And if you take a look at the striking stats in Ortega's recent losses, you will see how hittable he is.
In terms of significant strikes, Ortega absorbed 290 (Holloway), 214 (Volk), 23 (Rodriguez- injury stoppage in round one), and 106 (Lopes). That amounts to 633 significant strikes absorbed across four fights, for an average of 160 strikes per fight. That means he's getting hit a lot, plain and simple.
Compare that to the strikes he absorbed in his other nine UFC fights: De La Torre (6), Tavares (39), Brandao (56), Guida (62), Moicano (109), Swanson (60), Edgar (27), Jung (62), and Rodriguez (55). That amounts to 476 strikes absorbed over nine fights, or 53 strikes per fight. So in his recent run, he has gotten hit almost 100 times more per fight. Yes, he was finishing most of his earlier fights inside the distance, and he was still getting hit quite a bit.
There is no doubt that Ortega is a warrior who has shown tremendous fighting spirit and durability throughout his career. And he has been in many exciting fights in victory and defeat. He unquestionably deserves respect for all of that. I am just concerned for his health if he keeps taking the amount of damage he has in recent fights.
If I were his coach, I would change the game plan for all future fights to do whatever it takes to get the fight to the ground. That means using strikes purely to close the distance and secure a takedown. Operate like Royce Gracie did back in the day, looking for any opportunity to clinch and get the fight to the mat, where BJJ's effectiveness can be showcased to the world. If Ortega does move up to lightweight, I hope he goes back to his roots and starts focusing on attacking submissions. If not, the losses and damage are likely to keep piling up.