UFC: Brian Ortega reveals weight cut ‘suffering’ inspired him to shave hair off, donate it to children’s chemotherapy charity
- ‘I have to deal with this for a little bit, some people don’t have this choice, they have to deal with it every day,’ says Ortega
- ‘Maybe it was in my feelings, I get emotional when I cut weight, but I was like, go get me the clippers right now’
The 29-year-old Mexican-American (15-1, one no contest) showed he has overhauled his game over the nearly two years he’s been away after a harrowing beat down by former UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway.
But he arrived for Friday’s weigh-ins sheared of his famous long locks, revealing before the fight he would donate the hair to Locks of Love, a charity for children undergoing chemotherapy.
With the nerves and pressure of a No 1 contender fight now out fo the way, “T-City” expanded further upon his decision in the post-event press conference in Abu Dhabi.
“So we were cutting weight, I’ve been wanting to cut my hair for a while – not completely bald, but trim it a little bit, go back to the slick back Bryan, or something,” Ortega said.
“I understand now why some of these girls cut their hair off. After every run I gotta re-bundle it up and put it this and that, and showering, it’s just a freaking hassle. I do miss my looks with it I’m not gonna lie.