Holloway vs. Ortega officially set as UFC 231 main event

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UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway. (John Locher/AP)

UFC 231 finally has a main event and as expected it’s a featherweight title fight between champion Max Holloway and top contender Brian Ortega.

The UFC made the official announcement Tuesday.

Holloway and Ortega were scheduled to meet at UFC 226 in July but in the days leading up to the event it was revealed Holloway was unable to compete as he was reportedly suffering from the effects of a concussion sustained in training.

Ortega (14-0, one no-contest) became the 145-pound division’s No. 1 contender back in March when he knocked out Frankie Edger at UFC 222 becoming the first fighter ever to finish the former lightweight champ.

Meanwhile, Holloway (19–3) is riding a 12-fight winning streak, including back-to-back TKO victories over former longtime champion Jose Aldo, but hasn’t fought in 2018. The Hawaiian was scheduled to take on Edgar at UFC 222 but withdrew with an ankle injury. Then he was briefly scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov on short notice at UFC 223, however the New York State Athletic Commission prevented Holloway from completing his weight cut citing health concerns and he was removed from the card one day prior to the event.

This will be the third time Holloway has fought in Canada in his career. He earned a win against Charles Oliveira in Saskatoon in 2015 and won the interim featherweight title against Anthony Pettis at UFC 206 in Toronto in 2016. Ortega has never competed outside the United States in his MMA career.

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