MMA Knockout

UFC makes concerning short-notice change to this weekend's co-main fight

UFC Shanghai's co-main event was off, then on, in a weird turn of events during morning weigh-ins
Zain Bando|
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

UFC Shanghai nearly turned disastrous Thursday night (Friday in China) as former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling and former UFC Featherweight challenger Brian Ortega were set to weigh in for their co-main event for Saturday's UFC Fight Night.

According to MMAMania's Alex Behunin, the situation couldn't have been anymore strange.

Report: UFC Shanghai star Brian Ortega fainted before weigh ins

"What a twist of events….Got told by multiple sources that Brian [Ortega] fainted, went to the hospital, which forced the fight to be off Now, they Brian and Aljo both weighed in and it’s apparently on. That’s MMA for you," Behunin posted.

The fight will move forward as scheduled as the co-headliner, and there appears to be even greater stipulations attached, as MMAJunkie's Nolan King noted.

Ortega vs. Sterling continues in new weight class despite concerns

"Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling will now be contested at lightweight, per UFC officials. Both made weight at 153 pounds," King tweeted.

Sterling also took to social media to react to the fight remaining on the card.

READ MORE: UFC Shanghai guide: finishers and future contenders highlight stacked card

"The show goes on," Sterling tweeted.

A vast majority of the MMA community, however, was not pleased.

"What are we doing? Ortega looks like he’s a sneeze away from being in the hospital for dehydration," Brian Sutterer tweeted.

During media day, Ortega said there was little concern regarding his weight cut before the weigh-in issues arose.

"I’m finally adjusted to the time here and I’m having breakfast the same time I have it at home," Ortega said.

MMA content creator Ben Davis was less than pleased with Ortega's situation, too.

"Brian Ortega can barely walk at the weigh-ins dawg," Davis wrote.

Below is the UFC's official statement regarding the fight.

Aljamain Sterling Accepted Brian Ortega Fight At Catchweight

Sterling aims for a signature wi
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Aljamain Sterling during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"Per Hunter Campbell, the bout between Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will now take place at a catchweight of 153 pounds," the statement read.

UFC Shanghai proceeds with 12 fights to close out the month of August. Ortega (16-4 MMA) has lost three of his last four, securing his most recent win last February against Yair Rodriguez (20-5 MMA). Meanwhile, Sterling (24-5 MMA) is attempting to avoid back-to-back losses as he suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA) in his last fight.

Ortega vs. Sterling is the precursor to a high-stakes light heavyweight fight between Johnny Walker and Mingyang Zhang to cap off the card. Walker (21-9 MMA) and Zhang (19-6 MMA) have a combined 28 wins by KO/TKO, making the main event a can't-miss, high-octane affair for as long as it may last.

The main card action gets underway at 6 a.m. ET/3 a.m. PT.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer & columnist for Gameday Media's MMA Knockout, expanding his portfolio as a Staff Writer for Dallas Wings On SI with previous in-network contributions around the echosystem. Outside of covering fights, Bando's background includes Big Ten football and men's basketball with leans toward Illinois and Northwestern with a broader league view for bylines including The Sporting News, FanSided, Men's Journal and others since 2019. Bando can be reached at zainbando99@gmail.com or via his social media accounts @zainbando99.

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