Despite sustaining a severe cut from a headbutt during training and rolling his ankle, Brian Ortega still managed to secure a victory against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City.
Brian Ortega’s recent win at UFC Mexico City against Yair Rodriguez was a triumph against the odds. The fight almost didn’t happen due to an unfortunate headbutt incident less than a month prior.
Ortega’s victory was a stunning third-round submission over Rodriguez in the co-main event. His coach, Rener Gracie, revealed that Ortega had suffered a severe cut right above his right eye during training.
Want to see the headbutt? You can find photos and a video in the slides below, all courtesy of Gracie’s Instagram.
Gracie shared on Instagram, “Three weeks before the fight, Brian caught a nasty head butt while training.” The cut was so deep it required four internal stitches and ten external ones.
With the fight looming, the team was concerned. A light punch in that area could reopen the wound. This became their biggest worry, at least until Ortega rolled his ankle during Round 0.
When Gracie asked Ortega if he still wanted to fight Rodriguez, the answer was simple. Ortega’s video response was, “The show continues, homie. We don’t even care. [We’re] sweating, The show continues.”
So, what’s next for Ortega? He’s potentially eyeing a title shot against new champion Ilia Topuria. This comes after his significant victory.