Brian Ortega lost by unanimous decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC China last Saturday, marking his fourth defeat in five fights. The once-promising featherweight prospect continues his downward spiral as weight-cutting problems forced the bout to be held at a catchweight of 153 pounds.
"T-City" looked alarmingly close to collapse during the official weigh-in, requiring an ambulance transport to the hospital before the fight was allowed to proceed. This latest health scare represents the culmination of ongoing struggles with the weight cut process.
Ortega's career trajectory has dramatically shifted since his first professional loss to Max Holloway in 2018. Before that title fight, he boasted an undefeated 14-0 record, but the defeat to "Blessed" seemed to mark a turning point in his confidence and career trajectory.
The California native did receive another shot at gold in 2021 against Alexander Volkanovski, coming tantalizingly close to capturing the featherweight championship. During that contest, Ortega nearly submitted the champion with both a guillotine and triangle choke before ultimately losing by unanimous decision.
Interestingly, his lone victory during this difficult stretch came against Yair Rodriguez by submission, though even that win was nearly derailed when Ortega was almost knocked out during the fight.
The situation worsened when a scheduled bout against Diego Lopes had to be canceled on fight day due to health complications. When the matchup was eventually rescheduled, Lopes dominated Ortega to a unanimous decision win.
The fight against former bantamweight champion Sterling was supposed to represent Ortega's attempt to regain momentum, but it instead became one of the worst fights of 2025, according to many observers. The performance only confirmed the serious decline of the once-elite prospect.
Despite possessing world-class jiu-jitsu skills and creative striking, Ortega's career now stands at a crossroads. A move to lightweight appears increasingly likely - will the 155-pound division provide the fresh start he desperately needs to rediscover his former brilliance?
