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Brian Ortega Reveals Grueling Ordeal That Forced Him out of UFC 303

Ortega clears the air on his super short-notice UFC 303 cancellation.

Mathew Riddle

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

UFC fans were gutted to find Brian Ortega withdrawing from his short-notice UFC 303 fight just hours before his scheduled appearance in the co-main event.

UFC 303 Aftermath: Diego Lopes Offered Huge Rematch at Sphere Event in Las Vegas

On fight night, rumors circulated that Dan Ige would step in for Ortega against Diego Lopes, and the UFC 303 broadcast team confirmed it as the PPV main card began. Ige vs. Lopes became one of the shortest-notice fights in UFC history, with just a few hours' notice.

Fans were left wanting to know why Ortega was vacant from their fight card, and now they have their answers.

Ortega: My Body Started to Shut Down

'T-City' has finally broken his silence, releasing a statement on Instagram on July 3.

"Come fight week I felt off and I didn't feel right," Ortega revealed. "... I was 178 lb when I accepted this fight on 15 days notice. Thursday night after 7 straight hours, I could not break 151 lb. Later, I would find out that I was battling a fever and I could not break into the final 5 lbs as my body started to shut down."

Ortega went on to say that he was thankful that the UFC moved the fight to 155 lbs to account for his struggles, but it wasn't enough as he continued to struggle.

"Thankfully we were able to move the weight to 155," Ortega continued. "At weigh ins, I still felt off but I was sure it would go away after I rehydrated and ate. Later on that night I still felt off and was suffering from cold sweats and no sleep. Finally, I fell asleep at 6 am Saturday morning and woke up at 1 pm hoping to feel better. I could not keep any food or water down nor could I stand up to use the restroom."

UFC 303 Fighter Shares Gnarly Recovery Photo After Gruesome Fight Injury

"I dared to do something crazy for the love of fighting," Ortega revealed while discussing cancelling the fight. He concluded his statement by giving Diego Lopes his respect and explaining that he'd "make it right" with Lopes by talking to some of the UFC brass.

Ortega's ordeal is a stark reminder of the bodily cost of putting on short-notice fights.

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Mathew Riddle

MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist  and graphic designer. He joined MMAKO when it was first founded in 2023. Find his work on The Fight Fanatic & Heavy on UFC. He can be contacted on mr@thefightfanatic.com

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