Why is Brian Ortega called 'T-City'? Explaining meaning behind the UFC featherweight's nickname

Brian Ortega is among the most well-known featherweight contenders in the UFC. Apart from a fan-friendly fighting style, Ortega has an interesting personality which has transformed him into one of the most popular fighters in the UFC featherweight division. His nickname, 'T-City', has ignited curiosity among fight fans ever since he rose to prominence in the UFC. In this article, we'll explore the origin of the nickname.

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Why is Brian Ortega called 'T-City'?

Brian Ortega is widely considered among the best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the sport.'T-City' is a 1st-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, earning eight of his 16 professional MMA victories by submission. Five of those eight victories have come via a triangle choke.

Ortega's use of the triangle choke has earned him the nickname 'T-City'. Back in 2016, the UFC featherweight revealed that his nickname was given to him by his jiu-jitsu coach, Rener Gracie when he was just 15 years old. He said this during an interview with K.O. Artist Sports:

“It comes from Rener Gracie. He gave it to me when I was about 15 years old. Because I was the smallest guy in the academy just a little kid and I would throw my legs up in the air and choke out everyone with a triangle. So one time we went bowling and you know how you put your name on the bowling screen? He put Triangle City and then I just made it smaller to T-City. That’s what it means.”

Catch Brian Ortega's comments in the video below (1:00):

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Brian Ortega's jiu-jitsu skills have produced memorable moments in his professional MMA career

Brian Ortega has often been hailed as one of the toughest fighters on the UFC roster and has survived some of the most difficult-to-watch beatdowns, especially in championship fights' history. However, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills have kept his hopes alive in a lot of those fights and helped him pull off come-from-behind victories in some of those.

In July 2017, Ortega handed Renato Moicano the maiden loss of his professional MMA career. Interestingly, Moicano controlled the majority of the fight and out-landed Ortega nearly 2-to-1 in significant strikes. However, 'T-City' pulled off a come-from-behind victory when he snatched a tight guillotine in the final round, forcing the Brazilian to tap.

Check out the finish below (2:04):

Ortega suffered a lopsided defeat against Alexander Volkanovski in the second title fight of his UFC career. Volkanovski outclassed the 33-year-old for five rounds. However, Ortega had the most significant moments of the fight when he had the former champion in a tight guillotine choke and arm triangle choke for upwards of a combined one minute.

The Australian fighter eventually worked his way out of the chokehold but the moment has been etched in featherweight title history as an example of grit and determination.