Brian Ortega has long been recognized for his fierceness inside the Octagon, but he’s recently made headlines for something far bigger than fighting. The UFC featherweight has been on a mission to give back, whether it’s stepping in on short notice for a fight or donating a large percentage of his winnings to charity. His recent activities have revealed a different side of him, one motivated by charity and purpose. But, just when fans thought they’d seen everything, Ortega made a gesture that stunned and moved everyone after a kids charity knocked on his door.
In an Instagram video shared by the man himself, ‘T-City’ was shown seated in a barber’s chair, smiling as he watched a distinguishing feature of his identity, his long ponytail, finally get chopped off. But why did he do so? Well, the 34-year-old revealed the motive behind the act by announcing that he has given his hair to Wigs for Kids, a charity that offers hairpieces to children suffering from medical problems that cause hair loss. In the caption of the post, he wrote, “I cut it all off!!! @wigs.for.kids thanks you for reaching back. This hair has a whole lot of fighting spirit in it. Can’t wait to see what kid gets this and armors them up to keep fighting through their battles.”
The gesture truly won several hearts, as evidenced by the comments. In fact, even the charity expressed their heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging the importance of Ortega’s donation. They wrote, “Brian, we’re beyond honored that you chose to give your hair to Wigs for Kids! Your kindness shows these kids they are not alone in their battles! It is so wonderful to have such a strong champion for our kids!” For a fighter who has built his reputation on perseverance and determination, Ortega’s latest gesture ensures that a child facing their own fight will carry a piece of that same warrior spirit.
It is worth noting that this newest gesture of charitable giving follows Brian Ortega‘s pledge to donate $100,000 of his UFC 303 fight money to Fearless Church, which was motivated by a life-changing experience at their Man Camp event. Now, one can clearly say that ‘T-City’ is definitely fighting for more than just championships these days. However, this isn’t the first time that the 34-year-old sacrificed his trademark long hair to help out the ones in need.
The first time Brian Ortega cut off his hair for charity
Brian Ortega’s recent gesture of kindness was not the first time he had sacrificed his characteristic hair for a cause. In 2020, prior to his highly anticipated fight against Chan Sung Jung on Fight Island, the UFC featherweight made a brave move. Instead of simply losing weight like every other fighter, ‘T-City’ went one step further by shaving his head completely and donating his long hair to Locks of Love, an organization that supplies wigs to children undergoing chemotherapy.
The image of Brian Ortega coming onto the scales with his head entirely shaved caught many off guard, but the reasoning was deeply meaningful. Ortega noted at the time that he was inspired by the challenges of youngsters suffering from illnesses. “For me, weight cut, we suffer one or two days, then we’re good and back to normal. There are people out there who have to lose their hair not by choice and go through a lot of things,” he stated. The move surprised many, especially since Ortega was known for his thick, flowing hair, which was frequently braided before matches.
But for him, the decision was simple: the 34-year-old wanted to use his platform to make a difference, even if it meant arriving at one of his career’s most important fights looking radically different. Four years later, Brian Ortega has done it again. His current donation to Wigs for Kids reflects the same spirit of generosity that he displayed in 2020. What do you think of his act of kindness? Let us know in the comments.
The post “These Kids Are Not Alone in Their Battle”- Children’s Charity Reaches Out to Brian Ortega After Wholesome Gesture appeared first on EssentiallySports.
