Dustin Ortiz Talks UFC 220, Making Flyweight History & Training at AKA

Dustin Ortiz (17-7) discusses his upcoming fight against Alexandre Pantoja (18-2) at UFC 220 on Jan. 20. Dustin also talks about his 15-second win over Hector Sandoval, training at American Kickboxing Academy and working with TUF 24's Yoni Sherbatov. 

While Ortiz is preparing for an upcoming bout at UFC 220, a history making moment occurred in the fighter’s last contest when he defeated Hector Sandoval in 15 seconds, which is the fastest finish in UFC Flyweight Division history.

“The opening was there, we drilled it time and time and time again. I always expect the victory, but you never know what to expect finish wise. You just go in there and you let the combinations go, you let the submissions go, you stick to (some people have) game plans. So you go in there and do what you do and whether it be knockout (or) submission, you just expect to catch them. That way, I didn’t expect it, but I’ll take it any day of the week,” says Ortiz.

Ortiz now returns a little after five months since his last bout to fight Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 220.

No matter who Ortiz was fighting next, it is all on a journey to a destination that ends with the UFC Flyweight Title.

“Yeah, absolutely, he’s (Pantoja) a tough dude, tough S.O.B. He comes and brings the fight every single time, so I love the match up. You know I got to beat these guys that are up and coming in order to move forward and that’s the only direction I wanna go, so this is another one I have to win. But I truly believe everyone is a must win in order to become champion, in order to get the belt. That’s my focus, you know I’ve had eleven, big eleven UFC fights and so there is no more tune up fights, its the belt that is my main focus. This is the guy I have to get through in order to get to my destination,” says Ortiz.

UFC 220 takes place on Saturday, January 20 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts with Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.