Issue 168

June 2018

How Brian Ortega became as dangerous on his feet as he is on the mat and earned the chance to etch his name into the MMA history books.

When you first encounter Brain Ortega, he may not immediately strike you as a particularly dangerous man. Outside of the gym or octagon, he doesn't seem to fit the bill of professional prizefighter. He's a laid-back, long-haired surfer guy with a love of fast food that should not gel with the nutritional demands of one of the world's most gifted fighters.

Don’t mistake his composure for lack of focus. He doesn’t have to embrace a kind of ‘as real as it gets’ or ‘face the pain’ mindset to succeed in MMA. He’s simply relaxed, confident and comfortable. That demeanor was demonstrated in many of his early UFC fights as, despite trailing on the scorecards, he was able to come back and finish each of his opponents. No need to panic.

When it's time for FO to interview the 27-year-old, he's still sound asleep in bed.

In fairness, 'T-City' has earned some rest.

It’s just a few days after he pulled off a shocking and historic win against Frankie Edgar to book himself a shot at the world featherweight.

With a big stretch, and a “lets dooooo this!” Ortega describes how a cerebral approach to all aspects of the sport over many years means that – whether he’s fighting a veteran, a legend, or young gun – he can finish anyone in the UFC.

Pull the trigger

Ortega, a native of Southern California, is on some run. Despite spending more than a year out of the cage due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder, he built on his first three UFC wins with three more victories in just seven months – each more stunning than the last – to take him to a 15-0 (1NC) record.

First, there was the trademark, third-round submission of Renato Moicano, in which ‘T-City’ picked up where he left off. He found a finish, despite dropping the first two rounds on many media scorecards. Next, he took charge against Cub Swanson, hunting for his neck and finishing one of the most experienced fighters at 145lb. Now he wasn’t waiting to show his killer instinct. Finally, on March 3rd at UFC 222, he got busy, knocking out Frankie Edgar in the very first round.

That’s the Brian Ortega that was always waiting to show himself. He’s always had the ability, having trained boxing and BJJ since he was a child. It just took seasoning to bring out the dangerous best in him as soon as a bout begins.

“Before, I was hesitant to really pull the trigger,” he says. “I’d seen opportunities before, but I was really still studying them, wondering if that was the opportunity or not. I would hesitate to take it. Now, the more sparring, the more training, all the hard work I put in, I can see it when I’m in there. I can see the opportunities more clearly than before and it’s showing. I can finally quiet people when they say, ‘He’s a fighter but he’s getting lucky in the third round.’”

If the Swanson finish showed Ortega was becoming more decisive as he squeezed him into submission in the second round, the quick destruction of Edgar was further evidence that his predatory mindset could be unleashed from minute one against the very best. No more hesitation or over-analysis.

“I threw a front elbow first, trying to spike it in his face,” he explains. “I threw it, and I missed, but I realized it was there. I remember telling myself in the fight, ‘Wait a minute, this is here.’ So, when he came in again I threw that left elbow and it landed perfectly.

“I knew I had him dazed and confused, but honestly, I thought it would be like another Gray Maynard fight. This guy is coming back, so don’t get too excited.

I kept my composure though and I kept the attack up because I knew it was the end of the round and it was my opportunity to steal the round. I was attacking and he was leaning forward, and I could tell his eyes weren’t there, so I put my hand on his shoulder and let that uppercut rip. Once I landed it, I knew. This is it.”

He didn’t need a fighter’s intuition to figure that out. Such was the power of Ortega’s strike, Edgar was lifted o his feet before he was finished off, supine and defenseless.

It was a finishing blow that pleased no one more than his Mexican father, Martin, a boxing fan. To see his son, who usually finishes people with his otherworldly grappling skills, score a stoppage by using fundamentals from the noble art filled him with pride – and surprise.

“My dad was... shocked,” Ortega says. “My dad thought I was going to get a submission. I think the whole world thought I was going to get a submission. No one thought this was going to happen. My dad was extremely proud, but I think more shocked and surprised this even happened. He was just like, ‘Holy cow. You actually get a knockout.’” He laughs at his dad’s reaction.

“Way before the UFC, for one fight, he told me, ‘Is that all you have? Just jiu-jitsu? Why don’t you box with these guys? You know how to box, right?’ But I was insecure about standup... Not anymore. My dad used to make fun of my standup, but after a couple of fights I showed him he’s wrong.”

Fast and loose

It’s true that Ortega is still best known for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu proficiency. He has seven submission victories, reps his Black Belt Surfing brand and earned his ‘T-City’ nickname when he was a teenager – coach Rener Gracie gave him the moniker at age 15 for his ability to triangle choke everyone in the gym, no matter their size.

As he says, the expectation was that his most likely path to a stoppage against Edgar would have been on the ground. It would have been a surprise if the previously-indestructible Edgar was finished on the feet, but Ortega has always been confident in his hands.

His boxing education has been almost as extensive as his BJJ development. He hooked up with coach James Luhrsen when he was 17 and it shows. His fundamentals are excellent, his footwork is far above the MMA average and, as he identifies, his instincts are sharp. It’s just been a matter of letting all that out when it really counts.

“I feel like I’m still a little bit shyer in terms of standup compared to grappling and what I’m capable of doing,” he explains. “I feel like, lately, I’ve been learning how to get relaxed and loosen up [in a fight]. I’m always training the fundamentals, but I feel like I’ve got a lot of tricks to show. With the right opponent, it’s going to bring it out of me.”

His training setup is a humble one. It’s Luhrsen’s garage with a matted square on the ground and a heavy bag hanging from the ceiling. It’s a far cry from the massive ‘elite’ gyms that house dozens of fighters across the US and the world. But that’s perfect for Ortega.

“I get privacy,” he says. “Pretty much no one is there distracting me. The training is pretty much all catered to me, so it can be focused on only me. I know a lot of gyms have a lot of fighters and are focused on everyone else, at least from what I’ve heard from other fighters that are kind of upset that other coaches are paying attention to the higher-paid athletes.

“I’ve been [James’] only athlete since the beginning. It’s home for me, it’s peace and it’s like something I stand for. You don’t need a fancy gym. I’ve been able to become the number-one ranked and undefeated fighter through a garage. I think that should say enough. It’s not about what you have, it’s about what you’re willing to do.”

The right path

It’s not just pugilistic lessons that Ortega has taken from Luhrsen, too. ‘T-City’ credits him for helping him to guide him away from the trouble he was getting into in his youth and develop the focus he has on his martial arts career. He says he was “in deep” and was shot at, but he has never revealed particulars for fear of reprisal.

His links with the Gracie Academy had put him on the right path, but he describes this extra connection as his critical saving grace: “The discipline was there with Rener because I would always tell him what was going on in my life, but Rener didn’t have this kind of upbringing, so I would always feel like I was just venting to him. He was guiding me, but just the way anyone would.

“When I met James, he would guide me through the ‘street’ answers. He’s already been there and done that. It made more sense to listen to someone who knew what I was going through. I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this guy’s like my crystal ball here, he’s going to save me.’ I really shaped up and went with him.”

That was 10 years ago. A couple of years later he began his professional career. A run of 15 fights later and he’s sharpened his focus to near-perfection and come within one fight of achieving MMA immortality.

Perhaps the only thing stopping him from living the perfect athlete lifestyle was his diet. Rener Gracie once told FO that Ortega, “lives o Jack in the Box in the morning and Taco Bell in the afternoon” and a little nutritional guidance would complement his natural gifts, focus his path towards the highest achievements and stop him from driving his mentors crazy.

When asked whether he’s been able to resist his culinary vices, Ortega makes noises of delight before the question is finished. Once he’s calmed himself down, he explains how his approach to nutrition has been changed to t his rise to world-class status – for the most part.

“I didn’t have any junk food or bad food during this training camp... except for one night,” he admits. “I blamed it on my friend who moved in with me for a bit because he was going through some stuff. Once he figured all that out he moved out, but he left behind a fresh jar of Nutella.

“I’m telling you man, I was working so hard because I took this fight on short notice. When I took the fight, I called this meal-prep guy and he just got down in the kitchen and made all my food for the next month. I was just getting a little tired of it. I was two weeks in, eating this food and it was no this, no that, not salt, no seasoning – no flavor in my life. Then I woke up at 3am to go use the restroom and that jar was just staring at me.

“It’s a good job there’s no video of that because imagine a guy who hasn’t eaten in forever going HAM on that jar. It was scoop after scoop, after scoop. I finished about half of it in two minutes. It got to the point where I had to stop because I was choking and needed something to drink, then turned around and was like, ‘Wait a minute, Brian. Stop.’ I was like, ‘Look at yourself Brian. You’re disgusting!’”

Ortega can barely control his laughter, but he can afford to let it out. Momentary lapses such as those are as bad as things get now, during fight camp, at least. His weight cuts are smooth and he turns up in condition to fight at full tilt for 25 minutes. For his next fight, he may have to.

Choose how you lose

Everything seems to be running perfectly for Brian Ortega. He now looks menacing at all times, wherever a fight goes; a loyal, tight-knit team is guiding him to make further improvements every day; and he has a signature win that has propelled him towards his goal.

That is the challenge presented by Max Holloway – his reward for overcoming Edgar. The young Hawaiian is likely to pose the biggest challenge of Ortega’s career, but he says that means his chances for success and an exciting fight are greater.

Just like the rest of the tests he’s faced so far, he’s approaching the task with confidence and composure, rating his chances very highly if it turns into an all-out standup war.

“He throws punches in volume, he stays in your face and tries to break you – like he did twice to Jose? Aldo,” the challenger says. “When I’ve trained, the more you get in my face and try to break me, you’re going to bring out the best in me. So, I feel like he’s going to be the perfect opponent to bring out the best in me, especially because of everything that’s on the line.

“Everyone says he can bang it out and slug it out. I’m sure they’ve seen the fight with me and Renato Moicano, but my striking has got a lot better since and my confidence in terms of I’ll stand in the pocket and slug it out with you as well.

I feel like my chin is good and I’ve improved in every single fight it’s going to be tough to knock me out.”

When it comes to rating his chances in the grappling department, Ortega is even more emphatic: “I don’t think he can even come close to me on the ground.”

Despite Holloway’s huge win streak, two-time humbling of a legend and impressive abilities, the ‘T-City’ call to ‘Blessed’ is exactly the same as the one to all of his opponents. He asks them to “pick your poison” or “choose how you lose”. He believes he’s always had the skills to finish anyone by KO or submission.

Now he’s got the experience and confidence to take charge and go after either against any opponent. Brian Ortega is certifiably dangerous and now there can be no doubt – he’s capable of taking absolutely anyone out.

Pick your poison

Brian Ortega’s top three tempting junk food joints “Number one is Jack In The Box. That’s my go-to,” he says. He can re o his order with no hesitation. “Spicy chicken sandwich, two tacos, three egg rolls, seven stuffed jalapeño poppers and, if I’m feeling crazy, Oreo cookie shake.”

“When I got to In-N-Out, I get a 4x4, animal style fries and a strawberry shake.” For those not lucky enough to know, that’s a burger with four burgers and four slices of cheese, as well as fries topped with cheese, spread, and grilled onions.

“I recently have fallen in love with Popeyes.” He’s so in love, ‘T-City can’t help but break into song about his favorite pollo place. “This whole training camp I’ve been like, ‘Louisiana fast, nothing like chicken from Popeye’s!’”