“[A win] just puts me right back in that title contention, that’s all it does. A win over someone as credible as him puts you back in there for title contention,” Brian Ortega told MMA Fighting. ‘T-City’ firmly believes that if he pulls off a victory over Aljamain Sterling in the UFC Shanghai co-main event, he’ll be right back in the title conversation. And as tough as it might sound, there’s actually a real chance.

It’s been almost a year since Ortega’s last fight against Diego Lopes at UFC 306, and the featherweight division has changed a lot in his absence. New contenders have emerged, all hungry to challenge champion Alexander Volkanovski. But ‘T-City’ could very well jump back into the mix, and that’s exactly what we’re here to explore. 

Brian Ortega must make a statement at UFC Shanghai 

Brian Ortega has always been a fierce title contender, often looking just one step away from hoisting the championship. His fight against Max Holloway at UFC 231 may have felt like a lopsided beatdown, but Ortega showed his grit against Volkanovski at UFC 266, putting ‘The Great’ in submission danger multiple times in the third round. There’s no doubt he has the toughness and skill to challenge some of the best fighters in the world. 

He also turned the tide completely in the rematch against Yair Rodriguez by securing a choke after getting knocked down a couple of times. However, his last fight against Diego Lopes hurt him the most, as it derailed his chances of getting another shot at the championship. But that can be corrected in the bout against Aljamain Sterling at the UFC Shanghai co-main event.

It’s a no-brainer that ‘T-City’ needs to win this fight to move forward. But just winning might not be enough. He has to make a statement! Ortega needs to finish Sterling and show the UFC and the fans that he’s still the contender who nearly took the belt from Volkanovski. But would that be enough? The current featherweight division is tougher than ever, as there are many contenders lined up.  

Why the road to the featherweight title is anything but easy 

Right now, the UFC 145 lbs division is stacked. Lerone Murphy has already stolen the spotlight with his jaw-dropping spinning elbow knockout over Aaron Pico at UFC 319. The undefeated Brit’s highlight-reel finish was impossible to ignore — even reigning champ Alexander Volkanovski took notice and called him out for a December PPV dance. With both fighters clearly eager to clash, the UFC might very well make it happen.

But that’s not all. Diego Lopes and Jean Silva are set to face off at UFC Noche Fight Night on September 13 in San Antonio. This bout could serve as the next potential title eliminator, considering Lopes went the distance with Volkanovski at UFC 314 earlier this year and looked impressive while doing it. So, the UFC might be interested in running that back. Not to mention, Lopes has already beaten Ortega. Meanwhile, Jean Silva is a fan-favorite contender whose recent performances suggest he could one day claim the championship himself.

And the list doesn’t end there! Yair Rodriguez and Movsar Evloev are also firmly in the title conversation. The featherweight division is bursting with credible challengers, each hungry for a shot at the belt. But that doesn’t mean Ortega can’t rise above them all —‘T-City’ still has a golden opportunity to shake up the division and stake his claim. 

The Only Way “T-City” can earn a title shot  

Well, Brian Ortega’s biggest advantage over the other featherweights right now is his ranking. He currently sits at #5 in the division, and while rankings can be tricky when it comes to predicting title shots, this could give him a real edge in getting another crack at the gold. That said, a win over Aljamain Sterling, even an impressive one, might not automatically earn him a title shot.

‘T-City’ is currently 1-3 in his last four fights, so he’ll need some solid victories to reestablish himself as a top contender. That means he needs to stay active, turn things around quickly, and take out someone above him in the rankings. Most likely, he’d need to make a bold callout to Movsar Evloev and hand the undefeated Russian his first career loss.

That looks like the clearest path for Ortega to cement himself as the next serious contender for the featherweight belt. Evloev, after all, currently has no opponent lined up following his UFC 319 fallout with Aaron Pico, which happened due to an injury during camp. So, now, the big question is: can Ortega pull this off, especially after the weight cut scare? Will the bout being at catchweight hurt his prospects?

It’s definitely a tough task, but crazier things have happened inside the Octagon. Also, who knows? ‘T-City’ might tap into his inner submission artist, rack up a few spectacular finishes, and find himself back in the title conversation just as he envisions. With that said, what do you think? Can Ortega find himself back in title contention? Let us know in the comments below!