Prior to Saturday night, the last time Brian Ortega was in the Octagon, he was thoroughly battered and outclassed by then featherweight champion in the UFC 231 headliner in December 2018.
Nearly two years later, “T-City” returned to the Octagon with a new look – his trademark locks were shaved off – and a much more refined set of skills. The latter allowed him to capture a clear-cut unanimous decision triumph over Chan Sung Jung in the UFC Fight Night 180 headliner at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, a victory that should earn Ortega a shot a reigning 145-pound king Alexander Volkanovski.