Brian Ortega felt helpless after his loss to Yair Rod at UFC Long Island.
Ortega lost a TKO in the first round to Rodriguez after his shoulder appeared to have been dislocated during a back and forth opening round. It was a profoundly unfortunate way for a fight of its magnitude to end, with Ortega seeking redemption after his failed title bout against Alexander Volkanovski and Rodriguez hunting for his first shot at UFC gold. And Ortega couldn’t help but bemoan his bad luck.
“[Rodriguez’s] grip was tight on my arm and it dislocated, and that was it. Like, no armlock, no nothing, but it just dislocated. Freak accident, and it just sucks,” Ortega said Saturday on the UFC Long Island post-fight show. It’s my first ever experience of it in all of my career. It was my first ever experience of it and I am kinda taken aback. I can’t believe this is what’s going on right now.
“Everything was going my way. Literally, I was winning every minute of the fight. Because I get emotionally, I kept to my game plan. For one second we started hitting, we started throwing, and I was like, ‘Alright, let’s start throwing,’ and I go, ‘No, let’s just stick to the game plan.’ And the world saw — I was about to show what I do best, which is grapple and take control. The second we touched the ground, our arms just barely f ****** popped out. Man, I don’t know what to do. I don’t understand .”
The outcome of Ortega’s case is more unfortunate when you consider his history with his shoulder. Ortega, a 31-year old contender, has been under the knife twice to treat shoulder injuries.
Ortega, Rodriguez, and both asked for the chance to manage things once T-City is fully healthy. However, UFC president Dana White expressed an interest in organizing an interim title fight between Josh Emmett and Rodriguez while Volkanovski heals. Any plans to rematch could be delayed depending on Ortega’s health.
The native of California plans to establish a timeline for his return.
” I would love it to be done again,” Ortega stated about the Rodriguez fight. I feel as if we have left this world with blue eyes. We didn’t get to finish what I wanted to do, you know? He would have got up, we could have scrambled or banged our heads out. I wanted to get into a fight. It was my intention to just go into there and impose my will. But I don’t have one.
“If he said he’s willing to run it back, I definitely want to get it back. As soon as possible, I will go to MRI and do whatever I need to. It is my prayer that God will spare me from having to have surgery. It’s been two surgeries on my shoulder, and I pray that it doesn’t happen again. Because it’s so painful when you need to have surgery. Let’s go when I feel physically able. I’m ready to go back. I don’t want to leave [time]. Although I am upset, I try to smile even if it isn’t — I work way too hard, I know. I will sacrifice all for this stupidity
