Brian Ortega reacts to UFC 306 loss: 'I've got to make some moves to get better'

Brian Ortega had a rough outing at UFC 306. Four days later, he’s already thinking about what he can change to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

“Face is a little bit swollen, lip is a little bit swollen,” Ortega said as he showed off his battle wounds in a recently posted Instagram story. “Obviously, the eye was crying for a bit, but it is what it is. I’ll be crying blood for a bit. Leg is swollen. I’m putting some cream on it.”

Physical wounds aside, Ortega said he’s spent time pondering how his unanimous decision loss to Diego Lopes at Sphere in Las Vegas played out. As his body heals, Ortega continues to work through planning how to go about things differently for his next outing.

“We’re good mentally, physically,” Ortega said. “Nothing is broken. Like I said, the prayer for me was just get me out of this fight without any surgery or things like that. We’re doing good. I did have some time to reflect obviously. I’ve got to make some moves to get better. That’s it. But I’m very thankful for you guys. The amount of love and support and messages. Thank you, guys – for real. To guys like me, it means a lot.”

Ortega, 33, falls to 1-3 in his most recent four outings after a 15-1 start to his professional career. He’s challenged for UFC gold on two occasions, coming up short against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. Ortega has teased a move to lightweight, so a new weight class could be in the cards for him.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.