UFC 303 was a whirlwind of an Worldwide Battle Week occasion.
Nobody was impacted extra by the practically infinite modifications to the cardboard than the night’s co-main occasion, which wound up as Diego Lopes vs. Dan Ige. Featherweight contenders weren’t initially slated to compete in such a spot that evening. Nonetheless, after the primary occasion between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler dissolved, it compelled the UFC to improvise and add Lopes vs. one-time title challenger, Brian Ortega.
Sadly for Ortega, his battle week was one riddled with sickness that finally pulled him from the bout later than ever seen earlier than in trendy UFC historical past.
“I used to be confused as a result of strolling into the battle, the battle week, I felt … I don’t know, if I might sort of actually put it in there, I used to be on autopilot, mainly,” Ortega advised Morning Kombat. “I used to be in there, and I don’t keep in mind a lot, if I’m being trustworthy, and one thing felt off. I assumed it was the dearth of meals and the load minimize that I used to be going by as a result of I went from 178 to 160 in a matter of like per week and a half. So, I went by like 18 kilos fairly fast after which slicing the load, the remainder of it was one thing that we confronted after.”
Ortega, 33, made it to weigh-in day, however not till after his physique gave out at 151 kilos when making an attempt to chop to the 146-pound restrict. At roughly 4:30 A.M., Ortega realized it wasn’t occurring, and the bout was shifted to a 155-pound Light-weight tilt.
Battle evening noticed Ige step in to save lots of the day when Ortega withdrew roughly 4 hours earlier than the co-main occasion. Lopes went on to defeat “Dynamite” by way of a enjoyable and aggressive unanimous choice. Ortega vs. Lopes has since been rebooked for Noche UFC within the Sphere subsequent month (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024). In line with Ortega, he’s at present at 170 kilos forward of the match up.
“You go in there, coaching camp, minimize weight, you come again, you eat meals, you rehydrate once more, and you then begin coming again to life and I by no means obtained that feeling,” Ortega mentioned. “I didn’t come again to life. I figured possibly simply the load minimize was too drastic from 178 to 155 or tried ‘45, and it simply didn’t go in my favor.
“I advised my supervisor, then I known as him,” he continued. “I mentioned, ‘Hey, dude, like, I’m not attempting to be a you recognize what, but when I step in there tonight, I’m gonna lose. I don’t really feel good. I don’t really feel proper. My all the pieces simply obtained sucked out of me.’ I known as the UFC. We had a dialog. I mentioned, ‘Pay attention, man, I’m simply telling you guys the place I’m at and what I’m pondering, however I’ll go in there and I’ll give it a shot and I’m on the level the place I’ll simply most likely put my again towards the cage and simply allow them to tee off on me, and we’ll simply get down like that as a result of I don’t actually have it in me to go and have a battle. Not proper now.’”