UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega has his eyes on a rematch with former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.
Ortega spoke with TMZ Sports ahead of his second chance at UFC gold this weekend when he takes on current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 266. He made it clear that while he isn't trying to overlook the current champ, Ortega can't help but want to run it back with Holloway.
“That would be ideal,” Ortega said (h/t MMA Fighting). “I’m not trying to speak ahead or get past Volkanovski because he beat Max twice, so I’m not here to already start celebrating but that would be ideal. I’m a better person, better fighter than I was when I fought him and watching his last fight, so is he. You always want that. As a fighter, as a competitor, you always want to make that sh*t square or to say, ‘Yo dog, you know what? You legit got the best of me. Good sh*t."
Ortega was pummeled in his first meeting with Holloway, losing via a fourth-round TKO at UFC 231 back in December 2018. However, he responded well in his last Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Island 6 where he defeated Chan Sung Jung via a unanimous decision to earn the title shot against Volkanovski. Ultimately Ortega doesn't care if he has to fight Holloway 100 times, he just wants to get the win back from the former 145-pound king.
“I’m competitive,” Ortega said. “I want to make sh*t even. It does bother me. You go in there and you go, ‘F*ck!’ I look at my record and I go, ‘F*ck, that one belongs to him. Oh you motherf*cker! Good sh*t.’ I’m not a hater either. I’m not a hater so I’m like good sh*t but I’m from the hood, let’s run that sh*t back. (Laughs). Let’s run it back. Let’s always run it back. Let’s f*cking get down. Even if he f*cks me up again, I’ll fight you 100 times. I’m gonna get one.”
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