Brian Ortega produced one of the crucial inventive and memorable walkouts in current historical past when he and his coaches all marched to the cage accompanied by masks and music impressed by the horror movie The Purge. However the true story behind that entrance truly got here from a a lot darker place as he was on the brink of battle Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266.
It seems that across the time of that September 2021 predominant occasion, Ortega often skilled a disturbance of his condo whereas making ready to compete for the UFC featherweight title. Sadly for the fighter, some noisy upstairs neighbors prevented Ortega from getting the remainder that he wanted at evening after a protracted day spent within the health club.
“At the moment, I used to be residing in an condo,” Ortega defined throughout UFC 303 media day. “I had left the home and every part after I separated and there’s this neighbor upstairs [making noise] that each hour, it was like 2 within the morning, 3 within the morning, 4 within the morning, I’m like dude, do you guys fall asleep? What’s happening? Come on now. I’ve received a battle I’ve received to coach for, I’ve received a world title, what are you guys doing?
“I used to be watching some reels or one thing [on Instagram] and The Purge track got here on and I began fantasizing, not the most effective factor, but when The Purge was actual, the very first thing I’m doing is I’m going upstairs.”
The Purge is a 2013 horror movie, written and directed by James DeMonaco, a couple of dystopian future the place the US has grow to be virtually utterly freed from crime because of a one-night-per-year occasion known as “The Purge,” throughout which all prison acts—together with homicide—are utterly authorized for 12 hours. Within the movie, to sign that The Purge has began, loud sirens are sounded throughout the complete U.S.
After listening to a remix that includes the sirens from The Purge, Ortega began considering what he would do if immediately all crimes had been quickly legalized, notably with reference to his neighbors.
“I’m not a snitch, I’m not a complainer however dude, I even hit up the owner like, ‘Yo, are you able to inform them to be quiet, please?’” Ortega stated. “I do know they snitched on me earlier than as a result of I’ve been taking part in with my children just a little too tough. Like I used to be operating round one time and I used to be like ‘I’m going to kill you!’ and the youngsters had been screaming and so they had been about to name the cops as a result of they thought I used to be going to kill my children. To me it wasn’t that loopy, that’s how we mess around, however I by no means stated nothing. Lastly, I stated hey, these guys or whoever’s up there, I don’t need to be impolite however come on now. It seems like they’re dragging one thing throughout the ground all evening. Should you need assistance, let me know!
“After I complained, I swear it stored taking place like they doubled down on it. In order that was simply in my head like dude, if The Purge was actual, I’d go upstairs and simply deal with enterprise.”
As points together with his upstairs neighbors continued, Ortega simply stored going again to that very same situation in his head, which ultimately led to the concept that maybe he might use The Purge to create a very cool walkout for his battle towards Volkanovski.
“I don’t know why, I’d keep up all evening, I’m like The Purge, that track, I discovered a remix to it and I used to be like if I had the masks, what masks would I put on to commit these crimes?” Ortega confessed. “How would I method their home? That was the idea. Simply be all hoodied up, with a lighted masks after which I used to be like what if I walked out to this? Wouldn’t that be dope?”
He finally channeled his disdain for his neighbors into his walkout, which included $5 masks and a track choice that the UFC truly modified earlier than he walked to the octagon.
“The track I initially had was just a little extra scary,” Ortega stated. “It felt like just a little extra actual. So I hoped to make everybody within the crowd sort of get scared a bit.”
Whereas the UFC nixed that model of the track, he was nonetheless allowed to make use of a distinct remix that includes The Purge sirens to create his memorable walkout.
His coaches additionally wore the very same outfits and Ortega says all people in his entourage undoubtedly understood the theme he had in thoughts.
“I advised them I wished to kill my neighbors. At the moment,” Ortega stated. “That was the theme and the thought behind that. I known as my managers and everybody and advised them my concept and so they’re like OK, let’s go for it.
“Now it’s the most effective walkouts ever when it’s being a dialog of subjects. It labored out.”
