Inconsistent results have left Brian Ortega in a state of limbo within the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division, stuck somewhere between contender and gatekeeper.
The 34-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will step in the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year when he toes the line against Aljamain Sterling in the UFC Fight Night 257 co-headliner this Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China. Ortega, who has already fought for the UFC featherweight championship on two occasions, enters his latest assignment with losses in four of his past six bouts.