Brian Ortega has revealed that Dana White personally got in touch with him to confirm that a featherweight title shot against Max Holloway is next up for the rising star.
“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 of his potential title shot 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.”
A couple of days later, White sought to put ‘T-City’s’ mind at rest by giving him the good news himself.
“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 told 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.”
It wasn’t exactly a difficult choice for the UFC to make as Ortega is now 14-0 (+1nc) in his MMA career and has racked up six wins in a row inside the Octagon, while he’s also proven to be a hit with fans too both inside and outside the cage.