Brian Ortega discloses what's forcing move to lightweight after short-notice UFC 303 fight: "You have to make peace with reality"

Brian Ortega recently opened up about his future in the featherweight division. Ortega stated he will move up to lightweight following his fight at UFC 303.

The promotion had to rearrange the schedule for UFC 303 after Conor McGregor pulled out of his scheduled main event matchup with Michael Chandler during International Fight Week. Even if it put a wrench in the current plans, Ortega seized the chance to take on rising prospect Diego Lopes in the co-main event.

In a recent interview with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Ortega disclosed that he will advance to featherweight after his bout with Lopes. According to him, the path to fighting for the featherweight belt is uncertain as there’s a growing list of alternatives for reigning champion Ilia Topuria, including a potential rematch with former champion Alexander Volkanovski and a matchup with BMF champion Max Holloway.

Ortega isn't willing to wait for things to go his way. That's why 'T-City-' chose a fresh start by going up to 155 pounds, and regardless of what happens against Lopes, he believes it's the best career decision. He said:

''They told me my weight class had no one that they wanted me to fight. They didn’t really want me to fight contenders and stuff, so I decided to move to 155.''

Ortega added:

''There’s no title fight for me anytime soon because of what’s going on in the game. Max has a guaranteed title shot and Volkanovski does, as well. ...Both of them, it’s just a lot. Everyone has done a lot. So for me to say that I’m there and deserve it right now, it’s not true. Selfishly, of course – since I was a kid I’ve been chasing to be a champion. But you have to make peace with reality, and that’s the reality of this game right now.''

Check out Brian Ortega's comments below:

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Brian Ortega previews his fight with Diego Lopes

Rising contender Diego Lopes will have his greatest chance to date on June 29 when he competes against Brian Ortega in the co-main event of UFC 303. Both fighters have a combined record of 20 submission victories and are well-known for their exceptional jiu-jitsu abilities.

In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Ortega discussed his upcoming fight with Lopes, saying:

''The fact that it's going to be a war all around, it's going to be interesting chess piece all around. If a guy is not beatable on the feet or on the ground or if he's a hard, he's a problem everywhere that means that's a great fight.''

Check out Brian Ortega's comments below (11:32):