Brian Ortega takes top two spots for number of significant strikes absorbed in a male UFC title fight

Brian Ortega now holds the top two spots for most significant strikes absorbed in a men’s UFC title fight.

Last Saturday night at UFC 266, Brian Ortega gave everything he had in an attempt to claw the UFC featherweight title away from Alexander Volkanovski. 'T-City' came close on two occasions to submitting the champion in the third round. Ultimately, however, it was 'The Great' who came away with an emphatic unanimous decision win over the contender.

The defeat, with the 214 significant strikes he took, ensured that Brian Ortega made another bit of not-so-great history when it comes to the pressure Volkanovski put on him.

His losses to Volkanovski and Max Holloway, as you can probably tell, were both pretty insane in regards to the accurate volume thrown by his foes.

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What’s next for Brian Ortega?

It’s really difficult to know what the next step is going to be for Brian Ortega. He’s probably going to require some substantial time away from the octagon. He needs to recover from any lasting injuries he sustained against Volkanovski. By the time he returns, things could look a whole lot different at 145 pounds.

From his entrance to the way he stayed in the fight, Brian Ortega definitely proved why he’s a fan favorite. He also proved why many believe he will eventually become a champion one day - whether it be at featherweight or in another weight class.

It's weird to consider but there's even a chance Brian Ortega has turned himself into a bigger star than Alexander Volkanovski. He'll need to stay relatively consistent if he wants to maintain that, but all you need to do is look at the metrics and see how many folks appreciate the guts he showed.

It's not going to make him feel any better right now. However, in the long run, he might appreciate knowing that he really does possess the heart of a champion in the eyes of the masses.