Brian Ortega details his spiritual rebirth ahead of return at UFC Mexico City: “I had to just pluck away and be alone for a long time”

UFC fighter Brian Ortega has spoken candidly about his rebirth ahead of his return at UFC Mexico City.

For the longest time now, Brian Ortega has been one of the big “what ifs” in the featherweight division. Between injuries and bad luck, he hasn’t been able to get on much of a roll. This weekend, he’ll have the chance to get back in the win column when he squares off with Yair Rodriguez in a fascinating encounter.

The two men are considered to be top contenders at 145 pounds and a win here for either could vault them into title contention. There’s no guarantee behind that, but a decisive victory could go a long way to convincing Dana White.

RELATED: Brian Ortega admits he wondered if fighting was “still worth it” after he underwent “multiple” surgeries during time off

In a recent media scrum, Ortega opened up on his journey to getting back in the Octagon.

Ortega’s rebirth

“The rebirth is a nature process that the eagle goes through, and it’s something that felt very close to heart for me,” Ortega said during UFC Mexico City media day. “It’s some difficult changes that I had to make in my life, my personal life, to be able to really live the rest of my life the right way.

“So, I had a choice,” he continued. “The choice is to die, keep doing what you’re doing and living the way you are. Or, isolate yourself way up in the mountains, smash your beak against a rock until it breaks, wait until it grows back, then pluck your talons out, and then pluck your feathers out, and then stay in isolation until everything grows back. Then when that process is done, the eagle can live the next 30 years of its life.

“That’s something similar that I felt that I went through in my personal life, where I had to sit in isolation and face myself in a way that I never have before,” he concluded. “And I had to just pluck away and be alone for a long time … and now I’m here.”

Quotes via MMA Mania

Will Brian Ortega get it done tomorrow night? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!