Brian Ortega is within touching distance of earning himself another shot at UFC gold. However, he has no interest in facing a surging 145-pounder who he claims he doesn’t know.
In his last bout, which took place eight months ago, Ortega sustained a shoulder injury that forced him to end the highly anticipated event against Yair Rodriguez early.
In a recent interview with MMA journalist Carlos Contreras Legaspi, Ortega stated that he could make a return to the octagon in the summer and hopes to settle the score with Rodriguez.
He also claimed that he does not know Ilia Topuria, a rising featherweight star who fired shots at ‘T-City’ on social media.
Topuria publicly announced that he intends on facing Ortega in the near future to climb the divisional ladder on his way to earning a title shot. However, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts might not be a perfect matchup for Topuria, who has heavy hands and could potentially want to keep the action standing.
Topuria wasn’t amused by Ortega’s comments and directed a message to Ortega during an appearance on a Spanish podcast.
Ortega remains one of the most notable names in the featherweight division, and a win in his next outing could book him a rematch against either Volkanovski or Rodriguez. While Topuria might not be his next opponent, fans are still excited to see Topuria return to the octagon and put on a show.