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Brian 'T-City' Ortega has long been considered one of the best featherweight fighters in the world. Since joining the UFC in 2014, Ortega has finished top contenders on his way to a title-shot. Ortega's most impressive finishes include submission victories over Renato Moicano and Cub Swanson and a knockout victory over Frankie Edgar.
Even though Ortega is one of the best featherweights in the world, he has been unsuccessful in two title opportunities. Based on how the division is shaping up, it's unlikely that Ortega will receive another title shot anytime soon. After Ortega's recent loss to featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, it may be time for him to assess his future at 145lbs.
Ortega is expected to be out-of-action for the next few months due to the eye injury he sustained against Volkanovski. Ortega should use the time to evaluate the landscape at 155lbs and return as a lightweight. The former title challenger has expressed interest in moving up in the past and should strongly consider it now. Here are 5 opponents for Brian Ortega at lightweight.
#5. Brian Ortega vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Kicking off this list is Rafael dos Anjos. The former UFC lightweight champion is a well-rounded fighter that has looked great since returning to the lightweight division. RDA returned to the lightweight division after back-to-back losses at welterweight and looked excellent.
Rafael dos Anjos defeated Paul Felder by split decision on a Fight Night card last November. Not only was dos Anjos successful in his lightweight return, he also returned to the top 10 of the division. He is currently the No.8-ranked UFC lightweight and would be a suitable opponent for Ortega's lightweight debut.
It'd be interesting to see how Ortega fares at a more comfortable weight. Against dos Anjos, Ortega would need to condition himself for the relentless pace of the former champion and high volume strikes.
Rafael dos Anjos has a proven track record at lightweight. Prior to losing his lightweight championship in 2016, he was on a 5-fight win streak. During the win-streak, dos Anjos' wins included Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone.
#4. Brian Ortega vs. Gregor Gillespie
Another tough test for Brian Ortega at lightweight is Gregor Gillespie. Sylistically, Ortega-Gillespie could be a very intriguing bout for fans. During his decorated college wrestling career, Gillespie won the NCAA Division I National championship in 2007 and was a 4-time Division I All-American.
What makes Gillespie's 14-1 MMA record so impressive is that he's won 7 fights by KO/TKO and 5 fights by submission. Gillespie hasn't been a one-dimensional fighter by any means. He has done a great job mixing up his wrestling with effective striking. He's not on the striking level of Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor, but his striking has still helped him.
Gillespie is currently the No.10-ranked UFC lightweight and has been searching for a big win that will get him closer to a title shot. A win over a former featherweight title challenger like Ortega could see Gillespie get a bout with somebody outside the top 5.
Many have felt Gillespie would be better suited moving to featherweight, so there wouldn't be a significant size difference. Ortega-Gillespie would be a great indicator on whether Ortega could defeat a top 10 opponent in a heavier weight class.
#3. Brian Ortega vs. Dan Hooker
Another possible opponent for Brian Ortega at lightweight is Dan 'Hangman' Hooker. This could be a great striker vs. grappler matchup and could see the winner immediately move into the top 5.
Although Hooker is one of the top strikers in the lightweight division, he would need to be cautious against Ortega. Hooker is known for his aggressive style, but that could play right into Ortega's gameplan. If Hooker throws with reckless abandon, he could get caught in a submission.
Hooker recently snapped his two-fight losing streak at UFC 266, where he defeated Nasrat Haqparast by unanimous decision. Both fighters agreed to the bout on short notice, which made his performance even more impressive.
Ortega proved how durable he is during his title bouts with Volkanovski and Max Holloway, and could use that to his advantage. When Ortega fought Volkanovski, he managed to secure big takedowns even though he had been losing the round.
#2. Brian Ortega vs. Islam Machkhachev
If Brian Ortega were to pick up a big win at lightweight, a bout with Islam Makhachev would make sense. Makhachev has drawn many comparisons to his teammate and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov with his excellent grappling. Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev smothers his opponents on the ground and has cruised to unanimous decision victories. What separates Makhachev from Nurmagomedov is that he seems to be a lot more comfortable with his striking.
Makhachev is currently on an 8 fight winning streak that has seen him climb the lightweight rankings. This year has been significant as Makhachev has remained successful against tougher competition. Makhachev's victories this year were both by submission against Drew Dober and Thiago Moises.
It would be interesting to see how Ortega's grappling fares against Makhachev as that's where the fight would most likely be decided.
#1. Brian Ortega vs. Charles Oliveira
Topping this list of possible opponents for Brian Ortega at lightweight is current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. If Ortega were to pick up a few wins at lightweight, the best possible matchup for him would be Oliveira. With both Ortega and Oliveira being exceptional Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners, the bout would be very intriguing.
Current champion Oliveira is currently on a 12 fight win streak that includes wins over Kevin Lee, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler. What made Oliveira's title win over Chandler impressive was that he won the fight by TKO.
In the leadup to the fight, Chandler's path to victory would be striking in the stand-up. That's exactly what ended up happening as he managed to stun Oliveira in the first round. However, Oliveira regrouped and defeated Chandler by TKO just 19 seconds into the second round.
Oliveira continues to cement his legacy in the sport. Oliveira's records include most submission wins in UFC history, most finishes in UFC history and most Performance of the Night awards.
