The words of J.R.R Tolkien ring true for Brian Ortega: Not all those who wander are lost.
That line from “The Fellowship of the Ring” embodies the curious journey of late for the UFC featherweight. An admitted nomad, Ortega got outside his comfort zone this year and began to traverse the country.
“I’m always on a search to find myself. It’s not that I’m lost, but there’s just unknown parts about myself that are yet to be discovered,” the San Pedro native said. “I’ve been traveling to train, which is cool. I’ve started to travel to train and just meet people everywhere, you know, and just see the calibers of fighting that there is out there and starting to explore.”
After stops in San Francisco, Arizona and Philadelphia, Ortega now finds himself in China, where he will be in the UFC Fight Night 257 co-main event against Aljamain Sterling on Saturday in Shanghai.
After 13 fights in the UFC and two cracks at the featherweight championship, Ortega (16-4, 1 NC) has become a known commodity for MMA fans around the globe.
Fighting overseas isn’t new for the Lomita 145-pounder. Some 22 months after featherweight champion Max Holloway handed him his first loss, a new-look Ortega took to the Octagon with a shaved head and impressively throttled Chan Sung Jung – aka The Korean Zombie – over five rounds Oct. 18, 2020, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
But there are major differences this time, and not just because the fear of COVID-19 is no longer prevalent.
“Abu Dhabi, we had a fight like at 4:30 in the morning, so we had to to stay up all night,” Ortega said of his main event five years ago, which was held without fans and aired in prime time for the East Coast. “We were stuck, not stuck, but, yeah, we were stuck in the dome, right? So we couldn’t do much. So the fact that it was just adjusting to the daytime, here was one thing. And then all of a sudden, I can walk, I can explore, I can see the culture.”
Ortega’s fight Saturday will take place in prime time in Shanghai – the main card starting at 6 p.m. there and 3 a.m. PT – against Sterling (24-5), an accomplished wrestler who moved up to featherweight after losing his title two years ago to Sean O’Malley.
The opponents, each coming off a loss, have been cordial toward each other as fight night approaches, with Ortega respectful of Sterling’s game.
“He’s a good wrestler, good striking, good stand-up, good cardio,” Ortega said four days before their five-round fight. “You know, he’s an all-around fighter who caters … to control time and kind of win based off of points.”
While both have found much of their success on the mat, their styles are different.
Ortega’s jiu-jitsu is roundly feared, but he has shown a willingness to bang and a steel chin. In his eight UFC wins, Ortega, 34, has three knockouts, four submissions and the unanimous-decision victory over Jung.
Sterling, 36, has 21 fights over 11 years in the UFC, with two knockouts, four submissions and nine decision victories. One of his signature moves is to seize the advantage by securing his opponent’s back to the point he is referred to as The Human Backpack.
“I think when wrestling meets jiu-jitsu, it’s just nonstop movement, you know? I think that’s going to be the good part here, where it’s like we both have our own expertise in grappling, you know?” Ortega said. “He’s tapped into my world and I’ve tapped into his world. So it’s cool, you know? He’s a phenomenal grappler and we’ll just see how it goes.”
After soaking up all his experiences on the road this year, which he described as unexpectedly welcoming and respectful, Ortega says he has begun to focus on having more fun with his career.
The new outlook hasn’t changed his discipline, with his coaches and teammates noticing a bigger and more aggressive Ortega.
“I’ve never been like a buff, six-pack kind of guy, but even my physicality coming in, everyone was like, ‘Yo, significantly different. You’re on weight. You look stronger. You look like you retained more muscle,’” he said. “Based on all the trainings that I’ve had this week, they’re like, ‘Oh, you do seem to be good, bro.’ Like, everything’s good.”
UFC Fight Night 257
When: Saturday
Where: Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai, China
How to watch: prelims (midnight PT, ESPN+); main card (3 a.m. PT, ESPN+)