Former UFC featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega returned to the octagon last night at UFC Mexico. He was last seen in action against Yair Rodriguez in July 2022. On the night, he suffered a shoulder injury and Rodriguez ended up winning the bout via stoppage.
Following a hiatus of nearly two years, Ortega returned to the octagon against Rodriguez in a highly anticipated five-round co-main event bout. His return, however, couldn’t have gotten off to a more shaky start. Just when Ortega was being introduced by Bruce Buffer, ‘T-City’ visibly hurt his foot which immediately caused a lot of concern.
However, Brian Ortega was able to shrug that off and begin fighting. In the first round itself, Ortega was hurt badly by Yair Rodriguez who looked to stop the fight early on. But Ortega somehow managed to stay in the fight and see the end of the first round.
Being hurt early on seemed to have woken up Ortega who looked like a completely different fighter in the second round. ‘T-City’ gained control of the fight in the second round and made it 1-1 going into the third round. As the momentum shifted in the way of Ortega, he was able to secure an emphatic submission victory via armbar in the third round.
WELCOME BACK BRIAN ORTEGA ?@BrianTCity submits Rodriguez for a HUGE victory at #UFCMexico pic.twitter.com/fn2yVkU5V8
— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024
That said, it will be interesting to see who Brian Ortega takes on next after his impressive victory over Yair Rodriguez.
Brian Ortega took home his 8th post-fight bonus following his victory over Yair Rodriguez
Brian Ortega’s fighting spirit shone through at UFC Mexico City. He secured himself a hard-fought victory over Yair Rodriguez. Moreover, he also won the coveted Performance of the Night bonus from the UFC worth $50,000. For those unaware, this win marked Ortega’s eighth post-fight bonus in his UFC career. Which solidified his reputation as a consistent entertainer and top contender in the featherweight division.
Two big wins earn tonight's #UFCMexico POTN bonuses! ? pic.twitter.com/nweJSvAZ7p
— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024
Apart from him, a few fighters celebrated an extra payday as well. Lightweight prospect Manuel Torres also received a Performance of the Night bonus for his dominant first-round submission win over Chris Duncan. Moreover, lightweights Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado put on a Fight of the Night performance. Zellhuber ultimately came out on top and emerged victorious via a unanimous decision.
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