Brian Ortega Out of UFC 331 After Freak Training Headbutt

Getting pulled from a professional cage fight because you accidentally headbutted someone in practice is peak MMA absurdity.

Brian Ortega is officially out of UFC 331 after suffering a nasty gash over his right eye during a jiu-jitsu training session.

"MMA Junkie reported the withdrawal was caused by a headbutt during jiu-jitsu."

Jiu-jitsu is famously branded as the gentle art, but apparently, Ortega's training partners missed the memo. A stray headbutt opened up a cut bad enough to require stitches and cause significant swelling, forcing him to withdraw from the event entirely.

This is just the latest chapter in Ortega's brutal luck with his own body. We are talking about a guy whose recent history includes a freak shoulder pop against Yair Rodriguez and a lightweight debut that got postponed because of another random injury.

For bettors and fans, this throws a massive wrench into the UFC 331 card leading up to the Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja main event. Sportsbooks are scrambling to pull the lines, and anyone holding an early ticket on Ortega is getting a refund instead of a sweat.

It is incredibly frustrating for a fighter of Ortega's caliber. You spend months grinding through a camp, cutting weight, and dodging major injuries, only to get sidelined by a stray skull in a grappling exchange.

Now, the UFC matchmakers have to decide if they can find a short-notice replacement to keep his opponent on the card or scrap the bout entirely. As for Ortega, he is back to the waiting game, hoping his eyebrow heals faster than his luck.