Full Contact Fighter Database

Home

>

News

>

Article

Media

Thursday, Jul 24, 2014

UFC’s Dustin Ortiz Hopes to Start “Getting a Little Bit More Credit”, After Defeating Rising Flyweights Justin Scoggins and Ray Borg

Dustin Ortiz (photo via UFC.com)

By Kelsey Mowatt

Dustin Ortiz isn’t coming off victories over top ranked contenders, but the Roufusport flyweight believes he’s made a big statement in defeating the likes of rising competitors Ray Borg and Justin Scoggins.

Following a decision loss to the #5 ranked John Moraga in January, Ortiz has rebounded by handing split decision, defeats to Borg and most recently Scoggins. When Ortiz faced Borg at UFC on FOX 11, the FIT NHB fighter was a lesser known commodity, since it was his Octagon debut. Since then, the flyweight has gone on to submit Shane Howell in the first round at UFC FN 44.

Scoggins, on the other hand, had already entrenched his presence as a top UFC prospect, thanks to victories over Will Campuzano and Richie Vaculik. Ortiz narrowly decisioned Scoggins at the TUF 19 Finale earlier this month. In both cases, Ortiz became the first man to defeat the young flyweights.

“He did have a lot of hype behind him,” Ortiz noted about Scoggins on a recent episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio. “He was defeated, 9-0, and I went in there and grinded out a tough win and I did that with Ray as well. It just shows that I’m beating tough, top level guys. Ray just submitted his dude in the first round of his last fight. He had my back, and he even had me in a choke and couldn’t pull it off. I hope I start getting a little bit more credit than what I’ve been getting for fighting these guys and winning.”

Dustin Ortiz (via Twitter / @DustinOrtizMMA)

“I was told, and I kept getting these messages before the fight, ‘he’s the next big thing’,” Ortiz relayed about Scoggins. “I was going in there and taking away his undefeated run, it feels good you know?”

Having gone 3-1 in the UFC thus far, Ortiz is currently ranked #12 in the promotion’s 125 division. Now it remains to be seen if his latest victories will secure him a bout with one of the organization’s top ranked flyweights.

“Absolutely,” said Ortiz, when asked if he’s hoping to face a top ten ranked competitor next. “I definitely want to break the top ten by the end of the year. I’ve been fighting so much. Right now, he (Scoggins) got my arm pretty good, I still need to see the doctors just to make sure everything’s clear. I don’t want to start training and have to take more time…”

Currently, Ortiz is helping teammate Anthony Pettis coach on the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, which is being filmed in Las Vegas. The upcoming season will feature competitors from the women’s strawweight division.

“Right after that I’d like to start up a nice camp and fight a tough dude, a name dude, that is going to get me to that next spot,” said Ortiz. “I know the last guys moved me on up, but I definitely want to move to that next step.”

“I’m the wrestling coach out here for the TUF girls,” the flyweight noted about his TUF coaching role. “It’s definitely a new experience and it’s pretty cool to come off a win and straight into assisting Anthony on the show.”

 

posted by FCF Staff @ 10:40 am
Have a comment about this story? Please share with us by filling out the fields below.

Comments are closed.