Brian Ortega Reveals Reason Behind Last-Minute UFC 303 Pullout

Brian Ortega finally has an explanation for his withdrawal from UFC 303. UFC 303, which was touted as one of the biggest PPVs of the year, was in danger of falling through after a series of unfortunate events. Initially, the hype was overblown, as the main event was set to feature a returning Conor McGregor.

Unfortunately, just weeks before the event, a broken toe delayed McGregor’s return. But that wasn’t all. The original co-main event with Jamahal Hill was also replaced by Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes. And while everything seemed to be finally settled, it was Dan Ige who came to fight instead of Ortega!

Brian Ortega Describes Unexpected Setback

The public was left stunned when Dan Ige took on Lopes for a catchweight bout. Speculation quickly began as to what could have possibly caused the change. Well, Brian Ortega himself recently detailed his situation via a statement on Instagram.

Ortega stated, “At the weigh-in I still didn’t feel well, but I was sure it would go away after I rehydrated and ate. Later that night I still didn’t feel well and was having cold sweats and no sleep. I finally fell asleep at 6 a.m. Saturday morning and woke up at 1 p.m. hoping to feel better. I couldn’t keep any food or water down and I couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom.”

Ortega then paid tribute to Diego Lopes for having to adjust so much. ‘T-City’ also expressed his gratitude to Dana White and the UFC for considering his situation. Well, that wasn’t the only unexpected twist that the UFC 303 co-main event saw. Moments before Ortega pulled out, the fight’s weight class was shaken up.

Brian Ortega changed the fight to lightweight

UFC 303 was originally set to be a featherweight fight. However, in the pre-fight press conference, Jon Anik revealed that the weight class for the fight has been changed to lightweight. This was done primarily due to Ortega’s inability to make the cut below 151 lbs.

Diego Lopes showed great sportsmanship and accepted the condition without hesitation. Ortega had a lightweight move in mind, as he thought the featherweight division was heavily armed. But the cancellation of the fight at Jamahal Hill made Ortega accept the fight with only 15 days to go.

Well, it’s clear now that Ortega simply couldn’t handle the grueling training he wasn’t expecting. And while he didn’t get to show up at UFC 303, his fans would be waiting for him to put on a show later this year.

Also Read: UFC 303: Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes Suffers Another Shakeup Hours Ahead