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Brian Ortega is going to have to settle for 2019 being an inactive year as he has reportedly pulled out of his main event fight against the "Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, according to Ariel Helwani of ESPN.
The nature of the injury is still undisclosed and this is what Ariel Helwani wrote:
"Brian Ortega, who was scheduled to fight Chan Sung Jung on Dec. 21 in Busan, South Korea, has been forced to withdraw from the featherweight headliner due to an undisclosed injury, multiple sources told ESPN. Ortega is expected to be out of action for approximately two to three months, sources said."
This undoubtedly comes as a big disappointment to UFC fans, many of whom considered this the most exciting fight to end the year. Ortega had taken a long time off following a beating from Max Holloway when attempting to gain the UFC Featherweight Championship.
However, he was dominated and stopped at the end of Round 4 after his eye was swollen shut. He made the right move by taking as much time to recover and was all set for a big return at the end of the year at Jung's home country of South Korea, but it wasn't meant to be.
This may be one of those training injuries. Helwani wrote that UFC is actively trying to keep Jung on the card due to his popularity in South Korea, though no replacement has been found just yet.
It's going to be interesting to see who the UFC goes to try and replace Ortega. Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez are two names in the mix but both men fought fairly recently so it's doubtful if they'll be able to step up with two weeks' notice. Who do you think Korean Zombie should face at Busan? Voice your opinions in the comments below.
