Brian Ortega can no longer be considered a dark horse in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division.
The unbeaten Ortega submitted perennial contender Cub Swanson with a guillotine choke in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 123 headliner on Saturday at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. His neck hopelessly caught in a vice, Swanson (25-8, 10-4 UFC) bowed out 3:22 into Round 2.
Ortega (13-0, 5-0 UFC) held his own in the standup exchanges despite a significant disparity in speed and experience. Swanson cut loose with body-head combinations, mixing in leg kicks whenever possible.