UFC Fight Night is making a comeback to Long Island, and featherweights Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez have been selected to headline the show in an epic fixture this July. The fight was confirmed by UFC officials on Thursday, and more fights are expected to be added soon to the fixture. This would be the first fight this year for both men.

Ortega would be entering the octagon for the first time after losing to Alexander Volkanovksi in a championship fight last September. The fight gave Ortega his second career loss, which came just two fights after his first professional loss, which was to Max Holloway in another championship fight back in 2018. This means that the two times he has challenged for the UFC Featherweight championship title, he has lost.

Still, with 15 wins from 18 fights, Ortega’s career has been quite successful. In July 2020, he was number 2 on the UFC Featherweight ranking.

Like Ortega, Rodriguez also has two losses in his career, including his last fight, which was against Max Holloway. The same Holloway who defeated Ortega in 2018. So the two fighters have a bit in common, with Rodriguez ranking number 3 in the UFC Featherweight division as of August 2021. Neither man has ever won the title, although Ortega is the only one who has challenged for it

While there is nothing at stake for this fight, it would still be interesting nonetheless and is worth looking forward to. If not for anything, but for the fact that this is the first UFC Fight Night event that would take place in Long Island in five years. The last time it happened was in June 2017.

In the coming weeks, we can expect more fights to be added to the event.

Written by: Leon Osamor