Brian Ortega’s emphatic victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 all but assured him of receiving the next featherweight title shot, but still, “T-City” didn’t want to take anything for granted.
“I’ve been told, but I really want to talk to the main bosses to find out if that’s true before I get too excited” Ortega said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I don’t want to get too excited then have it get shut down. Then I’m gonna be heartbroken. In my opinion, I feel like that should be the next fight.”
Ortega’s appearance on the dais wasn’t far apart from that of UFC President Dana White, who told media that he would book Ortega vs. Max Holloway “immediately” once the reigning featherweight champ is cleared to compete.
While it may have seemed like a foregone conclusion to the rest of the MMA world, Ortega appears to have received the confirmation he needed.
“I am getting the shot for Holloway. I just got off the phone with Dana White. He said I’m positively, 100 percent getting a shot,” Ortega said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast.
“I’m still cheesing up and smiling right now. It’s so surreal, but I’m not celebrating until I get that belt, you know? I’m staying with my blinders on and work ethic still in.”
BREAKING: @BrianTcity tells the #UFCUnfilitered crew he just got off the phone with @DanaWhite and has his next opponent… Listen: pic.twitter.com/GkU3s6WPA1
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2018