Prior to Saturday night's UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, UFC president Dana White said the winner of the main event match between featherweights Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung (aka the Korean Zombie) would be next to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the Featherweight belt. That man will be Brian Ortega after a decisive unanimous decision win, 50-45 across the board.
The No. 2-ranked Ortega was dominant in his return to the Octagon. Fighting for the first time since his featherweight championship loss to Max Holloway in December 2018, Ortega looked sharp, picking apart his opponent with strikes and leg kicks.
Normally Ortega is known for his jiu-jitsu and grappling, but it was his striking improvement that was most noticeable. He landed a personal-best 127 significant strikes, topping his previous best of 110 in his four-round TKO loss to Holloway.
The Korean Zombie was slow to start and couldn't really seem to get anything going against Ortega, who showed no signs of rust from being away for so long. He looked refreshed from his layoff, bouncing and moving away from any sort of dangerous power Chan Sung Jung could offer.
With the win, Ortega improves to a career 15-1. More importantly, he likely earned a shot at defending featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who is coming off back-to-back wins over Max Holloway.
"We're gonna find out if I'm ready," Ortega said about the title shot. "In this game, you take chances. You don't grow in the comfort zone. Alex Volkanovski, you're the champ. The thought of fighting you is exciting. I've got a team. Ready or not, I'm f---ing coming."
He also had a message to those who doubted him. "All my homies that rolled with me after my last one, I love you all. For all of you who counted me out, learn how to count," Ortega warned.