Brian Ortega doesn’t view Jeremy Stephens as a cheater.
Ortega is a fellow featherweight, who is in for the biggest bout of his professional mixed martial arts career. “T-City” will meet Frankie Edgar this Saturday night (March 3). The bout will serve as UFC 222’s co-main event.
This past Saturday, a UFC on FOX event took place. Stephens took on Emmett in the main event. Stephens won the bout, but controversy ensued. Stephens knocked Emmett down in the second round with a hook, but threw an illegal knee and illegal elbows. The knee appeared to land and so did the elbows to the back of the head.
The argument has been whether or not those strikes did enough damage to change the outcome of the fight. Speaking to the media, Ortega said he doesn’t believe they did (via MMAJunkie.com):
“I don’t think it was illegal. Some of the elbows he threw when he dropped (Emmett), I think one of them landed on the back of the head. But when you’re trying to finish, and the guy is staggering, it just happens”
“T-City” went on to say that Stephens simply did his job and found a way to win.
“I don’t feel (Stephens) is a dirty fighter, and I don’t feel like he did that on purpose. Emmett’s hand did lift off the mat when he threw that knee, so even if it did land, it was legal. I’m not against it. Congratulations to him for finishing Emmett.”
Talk to us in the comments below. Do you agree with Brian Ortega?
