SHANGHAI, Sept 9 — Brian Ortega has admitted he passed out while cutting weight ahead of his clash with Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai, spending time in hospital before ultimately going ahead with the fight. He later dropped a clear decision to the former champion.
The matchup, which had been scheduled for the featherweight limit, was converted to a 153-pound catchweight after Ortega encountered severe difficulties making weight. The Californian said he collapsed following an intense workout and was unresponsive for around 30 minutes. “Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital with doctors trying to cool me down,” Ortega recounted.
Despite the scare, Ortega insisted on competing. He noted that if his condition had shown signs of lasting damage, he would have walked away. “My health comes first, but I still wanted to step in there,” he explained.
Sterling, informed of Ortega’s struggles, assured him that a replacement opponent had been prepared if he withdrew. Ortega, however, refused to pull out, choosing to honor the bout despite the risks involved.
Once inside the octagon, Ortega’s performance bore the marks of the ordeal. He appeared sluggish, struggled to match Sterling’s pace, and lost on all three judges’ scorecards. The setback was his fourth loss in five contests, compounding a difficult run.
Reflecting afterward, Ortega admitted the weight cut left both physical and emotional scars. “I was nervous, but I still fought for the people around me,” he said. His experience highlighted once again the dangers athletes face when enduring extreme weight reductions in MMA.
