Brian Ortega has a different kind of motivation heading into UFC 303 on Saturday.
Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) wasn't originally scheduled to compete in the event, but the opportunity to face Diego Lopez in a featherweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) as part of a reorganized International Fight Week lineup following Conor McGregor's injury withdrawal came calling 17 days before the event.
Prior to being offered the fight against Lopez (23-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Ortega made it clear he planned to move up to lightweight on September 14 at UFC 306. The position doesn't entirely line up with “T-City”'s resume, as he's just coming off a third-round submission win over Yair Rodriguez in February and hasn't fought more than once in a calendar year since 2018.
Ortega said he jumped at the offer because he wanted to “get the nerves going,” but he told MMA Junkie that a bigger reason he decided to compete at UFC 303 was to donate the $100,000 prize money to Fearless Church in Los Angeles.
“This time I'm fighting for a bigger cause, that's what motivated me to do this fight,” Ortega told MMA Junkie ahead of UFC 303. “I'm going to donate this money to my church. I'm going to help a lot of men. That's basically the main reason I took this fight.”
According to the Fearless Church, “a fearless world needs a fearless church” and people need to “love more and fear less.” Ortega, 33, said he recently attended Fearless Church's “Man Camp” with his children, an experience he described as “life-changing,” which prompted him to suddenly decide to face Lopez.
“My pastor and I went to this event called Man Camp, and we did it, and it changed my life after that,” Ortega said. “A lot of men were saved. A lot of men were able to be their true selves, without prejudice. It was real. It was real to me in this world where everything feels fake. Seeing all this, taking your kids there. I want more people to do that.”
“If I can donate $100,000 and make it happen this year in a bigger venue — it was only 160 people — if I can make it happen with 300, 400, 500 people, I'll do it. That's why I'm taking on this fight.”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 303 event hub.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with fellow mixed martial arts fans.
