LAS VEGAS – Brian Ortega he thinks that fighting Diego Lopes is more about maintaining his position than winning anything else.
Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), former UFC featherweight title challenger and longtime presence in the promotion, returns to the octagon to face Lopes (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) – a fighter who is quickly climbing the ranks but has been in the UFC for just over a year. The two fight in the co-main event of UFC 303which takes place on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Ortega believes he has everything to lose and Lopes everything to gain in this short-notice dispute.
“For me, there aren’t a lot of crazy bets,” Ortega told reporters at UFC 303 Media Day on Wednesday. “That’s why people are like, ‘Why did you take this fight?’ For him, this obviously puts him in perfect title contention. Those are the stakes there.”
While Ortega doesn’t see himself challenging for the title or advancing much in the rankings with a win, he believes defeating Lopes will shut up any critics who doubt his current position in the division.
“That’s what’s going to test where I’m at,” Ortega said. “You’ve got these hungry lions coming in and wanting to take your place, and they’re almost there, you’ve been here a while, can you hold on and hold your ground?
“Granted, like I said, it’s two weeks in advance. There are a lot of factors there, but still, the fact that I’m still willing to take these fights on short notice is the cool part.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 303.
