Undefeated UFC featherweight Brian Ortega is gearing up to challenge reigning champion Max Holloway for his title. Now the fighter has come forward with a few words concerning his failed drug test from back in 2014, following recent criticism.
Brian Ortega failed a drug test back in 2014 for the steroid drostanolone, in which the fighter was dealt a nine-month suspension. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Ortega offered his thoughts on the matter.
“I’ll let people hate on me for whatever reason. For me it was something, I admitted – or, I publicly talked about it and said, ‘Yes, I did take something.’ I’ve never took nothing else like injectables or anything like that. It was an oral thing to make you cut weight. It’s almost Hydroxycut in a way. Or like fen-phen – remember that? I took that in order to help my weight cut, which every fighter hates weight-cutting. But I never excused no matter what it is that I took. I took full responsibility for what is it, what I did, and I did my punishment. I paid my time, and I continue with my life as anyone else does.”
“In terms of being haunted for it, I don’t really care for it. If they want to talk about it, they can talk about it. I know people say, ‘Oh, this guy’s taking drugs’ or whatever, but it’s like, I don’t know your personal life. I don’t know if you’ve ever done drugs. For all I know you could be doing cocaine and all these different things, and you’re talking bad about me? And I’m the drug user? That’s where I would really sometimes like to see who is saying what, and if I could just touch your hand and see what you’ve ever done, I’d be like, ‘OK, I don’t know why you’re judging. But OK.’
“… I could see if someone who has never done something is judging me. Then I accept their judgement and say, ‘You know what man? You are right. I did mess up, and thank you for judging me like that,’” Ortega continued. “Because I do need the criticism to grow. But I don’t really care for it anymore. The way I look at it is I was young, I made a mistake, and that was it. If people can’t get over it, I’m not going to waste my time trying to convince you. I’m using my time trying to convince people and help people. I think people who talk bad right now are just – it’s almost like you want to be that guy that doesn’t help people. You’re just negative in the world.
“I still love you, but whatever I can do to make you feel better or if you ever want to meet me, we can hang out, and you can see what kind of person I am, and you can change your mind about me.”
