UFC 195 results: Brian Ortega's sick jiu-jitsu leads to triangle choke of Diego Brandao

Brian Ortega

LAS VEGAS – For more than two rounds, it looked like Diego Brando was cruising to an easy decision over Brian Ortega, who stood to suffer his first defeat as a professional.

Ortega (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), though, was unfazed by the stakes in the third and final round. When a submission opportunity presented itself, he grabbed ahold of Brandao’s neck (20-11 MMA, 6-4 UFC) and refused to let go.

The featherweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC 195 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Ortega secured a triangle choke at the 1:37 mark of the third round when Brandao briefly turned his back after a striking exchange, exposing his neck. Ortega secured the Brazilian’s neck and worked to finish a guillotine choke from mount. When that didn’t work, however, he segued beautifully to the triangle.

It was Ortega’s second official win in the UFC after a debut victory in July 2014 was soiled by a positive drug test. Brandao sees a two-fight streak snapped.

Until the finish, Brandao soundly outworked Ortega, drawing him into a stiff overhand right and attacking the body. When Ortega tried to work his magic on the ground, he was reversed and took damage from the bottom.

Brandao appeared to tire of a workmanlike pace and went for broke in the third despite his lead. A flurry of fists opened the frame, and he denied more takedowns to invite a standup battle. It was a momentary lapse that sunk him and led to another highlight reel for Ortega.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 195 results include:

• Brian Ortega def. Diego Brandao via submission (triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:37
• Abel Trujillo def. Tony Sims via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:18
• Michael McDonald def. Masanori Kanehara via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:09
• Alex Morono def. Kyle Noke via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
• Justine Kish def. Nina Ansaroff via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Drew Dober def. Scott Holtzman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dustin Poirier def. Joseph Duffy via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Michinori Tanaka def. Joe Soto via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Sheldon Westcott def. Edgar Garcia via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:12

For complete coverage of UFC 195, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)