This past Saturday at UFC Fight Island 6, we saw a new and improved Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC). Ortega hadn’t fought in nearly two years, and I figured he might be a little rusty. His opponent Chan Sung Jung (16-6) appeared to be the favorite entering Saturday.
Ortega has always been known for his slick skills on the ground. His guillotine chokes are legendary. However, his striking always seemed to be lacking behind. He showed promise in that area especially when he knocked out former UFC champion, Frankie Edgar.
However, most believed that a standup fight would favor the Korean Zombie on Saturday. What we saw at UFC Fight Island 6 was the complete transformation and evolution of T-City. Brian Ortega looked like a world beater on Saturday night.
From the opening bell, Ortega controlled the striking. With leg kicks from the outside and crisp shots down the middle, Ortega never allowed TKZ to get comfortable. When the Zombie charged forward in round two, he was met with a spinning elbow that floored him.
Ortega completely dominated the fight from the opening bell to the closing bell. I figured if the fight remained standing, the Zombie would have a big advantage. However, Ortega proved me and all of his doubters wrong on his way to securing a UFC title shot.
Finally we have some direction in this division, get in there and take that #1 spot….that’s all I wanted!! #ufcfightisland6
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) October 18, 2020
Clarity in the UFC’s featherweight division
The UFC‘s featherweight division has been in a little bit of a limbo state over the last few months. The champion, Alexander Volkanovski, just defeated Max Holloway for the second time back at UFC 251. Holloway had earned an immediate rematch after losing the title in December.
The fight was razor close, however, the judges gave the nod to the current UFC champion. With those two having fought back-to-back, there needed to be a new top contender. The UFC booked two fights that could produce a number one contender.
Due to injuries, the only fight that came to fruition occurred at UFC Fight Island 6. Brian Ortega is the new number one contender in the featherweight division, and he’s going to pose some problems for Alexander Volkanovski with the way he looks now.