UFC featherweight prospect is looking at a very difficult long break ahead following a shoulder injury in training.
Brian “T City” Ortega has a fighting record that stands at 11 wins 0 losses. His last wins were against Clay Guida and Diego Brandao.
Ortega trains at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy under Rorion Gracie and his sons in Torrance California. One of the sparring sessions resulted in his torn labrum.
While Ortega usually spars with Rener, this particular session he went up against Ryron –
“We had this crazy battle of face shots, him on top, me on the bottom and we’re both hitting each other,” Ortega recalled. “James could tell it was getting wild, like, ‘All right, these guys are not even training.’”
In round 4 the fight continued with Ryron Gracie catching Ortega in an armbar and then Ortega tried to shake off substantially larger Gracie. When he couldn’t Ortega was in something he described similar to a kimura or a double joint armlock –
“My hand got caught somewhere and then my arm came out,” Ortega said.
The two promptly disengaged and the arm was clicked back into the joint but the injury was there.
“Right when I was talking to the guys, it was heating up. It wasn’t the same roll I always see with Rener and Brian,” Luhrsen said. “Right when I went in there, ready to go and stop it, Brian pops up.”
“The day after that, my arm pretty much gave out,” Ortega added
Ortega already had this same surgery on his left shoulder in 2011 so he opted for the surgery and a real chance to heal the injury. But it’s not any easier knowing what he will go through for the next 9 to 12 months –
“Training is my escape. It’s my outlet, you know? And now it’s like, now I gotta go and find out what I really am again and find a different outlet, which is gonna be hard because I have my passion,” Ortega said. “I have my outlet. I have my career. This is my world.”
His next fight was supposed to be October 1st against Hacran Dias at UFC Fight Night 96 at Portland. Sadly he had to pull out. We wish Ortega a speedy recovery!
