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Brian Ortega grateful for fight with Clay Guida after near-death surfing experience
- Updated: June 3, 2016
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — For a few moments on a stormy February day, it looked like Brian Ortega might never fight again anywhere, much less at the Forum in Inglewood, just down the road from his Gracie Academy gym in Torrance.
The undefeated featherweight bit off more than he could chew when he attempted to surf 10-to-15-foot waves in nearby Redondo Beach during a major storm.
Ortega, who was out at the beach with a group of friends including Ralek Gracie, ignored the advice of those around him and nearly paid the price with his life.
“I’ve never been hit that hard with anything in my life,” Ortega said at Thursday’s UFC 199 media day. “I ended up telling myself ‘you’re going to die.’ I almost gave up on my life. The waves kept hitting me and I kept getting pushed under.”
Eventually, Ortega blacked out. He was rescued by a friend, briefly hospitalized, and home before the night was over.
The next day, Ortega found himself wanting to go right back into the water.
“I was going to …
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