Brian Ortega Record: 16-5-0

Rise to title contention

Ortega announced himself with a 2015 third-round TKO of veteran Thiago Tavares, then a 2016 third-round KO by knee against the rugged Clay Guida. His signature year was 2017: a third-round guillotine of the unbeaten Renato Moicano, followed by a comeback guillotine submission of Cub Swanson. He then produced the defining highlight of his career in March 2018, knocking out former champion Frankie Edgar in the first round to earn a title shot. That first crack at the belt came in December 2018, when Max Holloway stopped him by fourth-round doctor stoppage at UFC 231.

Second title run and beyond

Ortega rebuilt with a masterful five-round decision over Chan Sung Jung in October 2020 that returned him to the championship picture. His second title challenge came in September 2021 against pound-for-pound great Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266, a five-round war he lost by decision after surviving and nearly finishing the champion. A first-round shoulder injury cost him a 2022 bout with Yair Rodriguez, but he avenged it emphatically in February 2024, submitting Rodriguez with a third-round arm-triangle choke. He has since dropped decisions to Diego Lopes in 2024 and Aljamain Sterling in 2025.

Fighting style

Ortega is a submission specialist first, with eight of his 16 wins coming by submission and a finish rate of 69 percent, but his game is far more complete than that label suggests. His guillotine and triangle setups are world-class, his bottom game is a genuine offensive weapon, and his cardio and toughness have let him win championship-distance fights and survive against the very best. He added real knockout power along the way, as the finishes of Guida and Edgar showed. His losses — to Holloway, Volkanovski, Lopes and Sterling — have come against elite, high-output strikers who can keep the fight where they want it, the clearest test of his striking under sustained pressure.

Career highlights

• Two-time UFC featherweight title challenger — earned shots at the belt against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski during one of the division's deepest eras.
• Knockout of Frankie Edgar — first-round KO of the former champion in 2018, the win that vaulted him to his first title fight.
• Elite submission resume — eight wins by submission, including guillotine finishes of Cub Swanson and Renato Moicano and an arm-triangle of Yair Rodriguez.