SHANGHAI, Sept 9 — Brian Ortega disclosed that he fainted for half an hour during his weight cut prior to facing Aljamain Sterling, requiring hospital treatment before stepping into the cage at UFC Shanghai. The ordeal left him drained, and he went on to drop a unanimous decision in the co-main event.
The bout, initially arranged at featherweight, was shifted to a 153-pound catchweight following Ortega’s difficulties on the scale. In describing the episode, the 33-year-old said he collapsed after a lengthy training session. “I woke up in the emergency room. They had stripped me down to my boxers and were dumping ice on me,” Ortega recalled.
Even with the health scare, Ortega chose to compete. He said he was prepared to withdraw if the situation worsened but ultimately pressed ahead. “If my body had shown signs of real danger, we wouldn’t have gone through with it. But I wanted to fight,” he explained.
Sterling, who had been informed of the incident, offered Ortega the option to stand down, noting that a replacement was already lined up. Ortega refused, insisting he would not walk away despite the risks.
When the fight began, Ortega looked flat and was consistently beaten to the punch. The loss marked his fourth setback in five outings, deepening a slump for a fighter once viewed as a top contender in the division.
Afterward, Ortega admitted the circumstances weighed heavily on him. “I was scared, but I pushed forward—for the people who came to see me and for my family,” he said. His comments underscored the dangers tied to extreme weight cuts in mixed martial arts.
