Brian Ortega is returning to action this weekend after one and a half years of being on the shelves. He will be taking on former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez in the co-main event of UFC Mexico City. Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Michael Bisping weighed in on Ortega’s comeback fight and shared some tips regarding his tactics against Rodriguez.
‘T-City’ was on a roll before his first UFC loss to Max Holloway in 2018. Since then, he has fought only 3 times, with one win and two losses. Furthermore, Brian Ortega lost his last fight against Yair Rodriguez via a knockout. To get a different outcome this time out, Michael Bisping has some advice for the former title two-time title challenger.
Michael Bisping advises Brian Ortega against a striking game with Yair Rodriguez
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Brian Ortega recently mentioned during the media day that he was reborn as a fighter during his time off. However, Michael Bisping doesn’t seem to understand how will it help him in the fight against Yair Rodriguez. ‘The Count’ said, “He’s talking about being reborn. What that does mean when you’re going up against Yair Rodriguez?”
Brian Ortega’s main weapon in his arsenal is his jiu-jitsu prowess. But the fact that he mentioned something about being reborn has Michael Bisping wondering if he made a change in his fighting approach or tactics. “Does it mean he’s gonna be spinning around like some Capoeira master because Brian Ortega is known for the jiu-jitsu,” said the Hall of Famer.
Nevertheless, Michael Bisping has advised Ortega to keep maintaining his schtick of using jiu-jitsu to take control of Yair Rodriguez. This is because if his last fight has taught him something, it is to avoid a standup game against the Mexican striker. “Stick to what you’re good at, Mr. Ortega, right? Don’t try and go toe-to-toe and spin for spin against Yair Rodriguez,” Bisping added. Despite having a fight coming up, it did not stop Brian Ortega from having some fun with his opponent.
‘T-City’ faced off against Rodriguez with his kids
Brian Ortega seemed to be in great spirits, as he had a very sportsmanlike face-off against Yair Rodriguez ahead of this fight. However, he surprised his opponent and the people in attendance and called up his two sons onto the stage for a faceoff against ‘El Pantera’. Despite the seriousness of the fight coming up this weekend, Rodriguez was game as he happily squared off against the Ortega family.
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It was a wholesome sight to see two of the top UFC fighters share a light-hearted moment. Nevertheless, Brian Ortega would seek to avenge his loss, given that the last fight did not have a definitive result, according to many UFC enthusiasts, since the fight ended after ‘T-City’ suffered an injury in his shoulder.
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Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez will have five rounds to battle it out. It was interesting to see if ‘T-City’ shows off some rust after being away from the fight game for a while now or if Rodriguez gets back to his winning ways. What are your predictions for the fight? Let us know in the comments section.