Brian Ortega Fine-Tuning Skills Ahead of UFC Featherweight Clash Against Aljamain Sterling In Shanghai

When Brian Ortega locks horns with Aljamain Sterling inside the octagon, it's not just a collision of elite featherweights. It would be a battle of two tactical titans, with the winner getting a path to redemption in the top spot.

The co-main event at the Shanghai Indoor Arena in China would be a fight with a point to prove for both athletes. Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling are two distinct personalities who will put everything on the line for a shot at the win in the event.

The Brian Ortega Exclusive: UFC Featherweight Fighter Sharpens His Game Before UFC Fight Against Aljamain Sterling

Republic World sat down with Brian Ortega, the number four-ranked UFC featherweight fighter, ahead of the UFC Fight Night. T-City would be up against Aljamain Sterling inside the octagon.

The American mixed martial artist shared some insights into his training camp, whether Sterling's skills have altered his fighting style and the dynamics with his coach.

Brian Ortega looked laser-focused and expressed what needed to be done ahead of his fight against Aljamain Sterling. T-City highlighted that he has been patching up his shortcomings in his game and is pushing harder than ever for a successful bout.

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Ortega is a jiu-jitsu savant with a flair for submission finishes, but Sterling portrays himself as more of a wrestler-cum grappler, finding a slight moment to seize control. It will be a game of tactical approaches and grappling pedigrees.

A win would serve as a ticket to the top five spots and a potential title shot down the line. It would be a Winner-Take-All situation with high stakes involved.

The following are excerpts taken from the interview:

Q1: As you step into the Octagon with Aljamain, what does this fight mean for your personal journey and your legacy in the featherweight division?

So for me, it's another fight. That legacy, I don't really think about. It's too deep, too crazy. Life is short, and no one will remember us after we're gone anyway. So I don't really care about legacy. I know a lot of people talk about it, but I couldn't care less.

My way of living is to fight the best in the world and have fun while I'm here on Earth. And that's what I'm doing. I'm fighting the best that I can. I'm pushing myself to limits that I dreamed of when I was a kid. And that's it. That's what I'm doing.

I'm here fighting the best fighters in the world. He was the ex-champ. So I'm doing exactly what I wanted to be doing when I was young.

Q2: ⁠Reflecting on your past battles (like your loss to Diego Lopes and the victory over Yair Rodriguez), how have those highs and lows influenced the strategy you’re crafting for Sterling?

They made me better as a human being in terms of training. No one likes to lose, especially when you give it your all. But the one thing that you can do and you have control over is, how do you get up and how do you get better? And that's what we did.

We got up. We had to look at the film, look at the tape, and realise, 'hey, man, there's still more holes in your game.' I think everyone's always going to have holes in your game.

But there's some significant ones that were exposed. And now we have to patch them up. So the last 11 months have been patching up the holes in my life, in my game, and getting ready to come back like we are right now.

Q3: ⁠Aljamain’s fighting and grappling are elite; what specific changes have you made to your ground game to ensure you dictate where this fight takes place?

There's no changes, necessarily, that were made. My style and his style are two different styles. We grapple differently. He's more of a wrestler. I'm more of a jiu-jitsu guy. So there's nothing to change there. I just got to go out there, fight, and look for the finish and finish him.

Q4: ⁠How do you process and channel the expectations of fans and critics into fuel rather than distraction when you prepare to fight?

I don't care about the fans. I don't get negative comments. The one thing I do use for fuel is the good fans, the good people who support you, who see you for who you are.

They realise that you're just like them, trying to make it. And they cheer you on. They are genuinely rooting for you, and that feels good. So I take the good energy that comes from me, from them, you know, in that aspect.

And then the people who have bad things to say, well, people will always have bad things to say. So all you can do is just ignore them because they're already behind you.

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Q5: ⁠How have your dynamics with your coach been, and how have they evolved this camp’s game plan?

The dynamic with the coaches has been amazing. We all have allowed each other the freedom to speak our art into me, right?

The wrestling coach wants to move me this way, and then the striking coach wants to move me a different way. And all of us collaborated together to move me in the necessary, correct way to defeat this opponent.

Q6: ⁠What new tools or combinations are you focusing on to keep Sterling off balance and force him into your rhythm?

We're focusing on everything. Conditioning; We're focusing on grappling, realising where we can take advantage of him, where he's weak, where he's strong, and moving accordingly to such, you know. And we just, for me, I'm a great Jiu-Jitsu guy, so it's all about the flow. If I can keep the flow going, that's all I gotta go.

Q7: ⁠Do you have any fight-week rituals like music, meditation, or pre-fight meals that help him lock in mentally?

The ritual, there's no rituals, but what I do is I pray. And all I do is I pray that God will keep me safe so that I can come back to my family and my kids.

TUNE IN: In India, fans can stream the event live on Sony Liv. Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster for UFC in India.