“I Woke Up in the ER”: Brian Ortega Details Scary Weight-Cutting O…see more.
For fighters in the UFC, making weight is often described as the hardest part of the job. For Brian Ortega, that struggle nearly turned into a nightmare.
The 35-year-old featherweight contender has opened up about the terrifying ordeal he endured while trying to cut down to 145 pounds for his scheduled co-main event bout against Aljamain Sterling at UFC Shanghai last month. Ortega revealed he lost consciousness for roughly half an hour during the process and only woke up after being rushed to the emergency room.
Ortega was originally slated to fight Sterling at featherweight, but by fight week, rumors swirled that he was having difficulties with the scale. Those concerns became reality when Ortega weighed in 10 pounds heavier, competing instead at lightweight. Looking gaunt and visibly drained, Ortega entered the cage under compromised circumstances and ultimately dropped a decision to Sterling.
Now, two weeks later, Ortega has shared a harrowing first-person account of just how bad things became behind the scenes. In a candid Instagram post on Tuesday, the American detailed the extent of his weight cut and the frightening health scare that followed.
“We cut from midnight all the way until eight in the morning, cutting weight the entire time,” Ortega recalled. “By the end, I realized I had 1.7 pounds to go. My body just wasn’t responding—it wasn’t releasing water, it was just holding everything in. But no matter what, we kept pushing because we had to get this weight off.”
According to Ortega, he and his team decided to attempt one last push at around 8 a.m. Wearing plastics to help sweat out the water, he jumped on a stationary bike. What happened next was something no fighter ever wants to experience.
“I did 20 minutes on the bike. Once I got off, I went unconscious. I was out for about 30 minutes,” Ortega explained. “During that time, they were putting ice on me, stripped me down to my boxers, and tried everything to bring me back. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the ER.”
The scare serves as a stark reminder of just how brutal and dangerous weight cuts can be. Fighters often dehydrate themselves to extreme levels to hit their contracted weight class, but when the body stops cooperating as Ortega described the consequences can be life-threatening.
For Ortega, the incident not only affected his performance on fight night but may also force bigger questions about his fighting future at featherweight. Having missed the 145-pound limit by such a wide margin and experiencing a health emergency in the process, it remains unclear whether he will continue competing at that weight or move up permanently to lightweight.
Fans and fellow fighters reacted with concern after Ortega’s revelation, praising his honesty but urging him to prioritize his health above all else. The sport is no stranger to weight-cutting horror stories, but Ortega’s account stands out for the sheer severity of what he endured.
Despite the setback, Ortega remains one of the most respected names in the UFC’s roster a fighter known for his resilience, submission skills, and heart inside the Octagon. While he didn’t get the result he wanted against Sterling, his willingness to share the reality of his weight cut has sparked important conversations once again about fighter safety.
For now, Ortega is recovering and reflecting, while the MMA world wonders what’s next for him. Will he return to featherweight, risking another dangerous cut, or will a full-time move to lightweight be the path forward?
What’s certain is that Ortega’s Shanghai experience serves as a sobering reminder: behind the bright lights and fight-night glory, the battle with the scale can sometimes be the most dangerous fight of all.
