Brian Ortegas värkande vrist hindrande inte segern

Brian Ortega besegrade Yair Rodriguez i co-main matchen under helgens gångna UFC-gala. Den amerikanske fjäderviktaren hade dock inte en lätt match. Bland annat så skadade han vristen under uppvärmningen i oktogonen och fick kämpa sig igenom smärtan.

Ortega berättar om vristen under UFC Mexico City

Brian ”T-City” Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) lyckades med att ta hem en viktig skalp inför framtida fjäderviktsambitioner under den UFC-gala som ägde rum i helgen. Där besegrade han Yair ”El Pantera” Rodriguez (19-5, 1 NC) via en strålande insats. Efter att ha legat risigt till under delar av kampen, mäktade Ortega med att sjunka in ett armtriangel-grepp som ledde till en vinst via submission tidigt in i den tredje ronden.

Matchen hade dock kunnat arta sig annorlunda om han haft lite mer otur med sig. Precis innan kampen drog igång, under oktogonrösten Bruce Buffers introduktion, skadade nämligen Ortega vristen när han värmde upp sig. Nedan kan du se en video av incidenten.

Brian Ortega hurt his ankle during his warm up 😳😳😳#UFCMexico pic.twitter.com/sMlWzeBF6R

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) February 25, 2024

Oddsen emot sig

Under presskonferensen följande segern över Yair Rodriguez beskriver Brian Ortega hur han kom att skada vristen. Efter att ha gjort ett hopp under sin introduktion, vek sig foten under honom. Han förklarar att han genast kände en smärta och underrättade sina coacher om problemet.

Talk about things being stacked against me. Bruce Buffer was introducing me and then I jumped up, and when I landed, I rolled my ankle. I was like, ‘Oh shoot!’ and I looked at my coach and I was like, ‘Bro, this is bad’. And he’s like, ‘don’t you fucking worry about it!’ He was just telling me to get in the zone, it doesn’t matter.

When they were introducing Yair Rodriguez, I was trying to flex my ankle like, come on, bro, work. Don’t you dare fail me right now. Like, we got five rounds, it’s not even a regular co-main event. I’d be lying if I said panic didn’t set in for a bit.

Vinst trots smärtan

Ortega fortsätter och berättar att han klandrade sig själv för misstaget. Dock hindrades inte ”T-City” av en ömmande vrist i oktogonen, utan lyckades ändå vinna kampen mot Rodriguez.

Obviously, I started right off the bat. I started off, I got clipped and then I paid the price for not being in the zone and focused on what I was supposed to do. I survived it. I think near the end, I don’t even remember, but I think I ended up somehow taking him down at the end of that first. Then I walked back, the adrenaline kicked in and I was like, ‘Alright, there we go’.

The ankle was hurting and obviously when you’re paying attention to it, it’s hard to really focus on the fight. I was like, ‘dude, this would happen right now. What an idiot! You roll your ankle right now in front of 22,000 people and you have a war with this tough guy in Mexico and everyone’s going for him. Like, come on, bro. I had to fight some demons in there.