Brian Ortega knew it was a possibility minutes after he hurt his shoulder in the cage at UFC on ABC 3.
In his in-cage interview after a July 16 loss due to injury against Yair Rodriguez, a disappointed Ortega (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) said he might need surgery again – and it turns out he was correct. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Ortega affirmed his previous suspicion publicly for the first time when he revealed he underwent an operation in early August.
“Bout a month in a half ago I had my shoulder operated on,” Ortega wrote. “I usually sit around and let these operations (cause I’ve had a few) take me into dark places. Not this time, I will remain working with the things I can do and keep working hard and staying at it. Thank you for those who ride with me.”
Ortega, 31, twice before underwent shoulder surgery. He previously described the mental toll such operations and periods of inactivity had on him – and the strength it took to pick himself back up.
There is no publicly-known timeline for his return. Whenever the time comes for him to return, Ortega will look to snap a two-fight skid that also includes a title challenge loss to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
