Ortega reveals knee injury forced him off UFC Busan

Brian Ortega says a knee injury forced him out of the UFC Busan main event against Chan Sung Jung.

Ortega released a statement on social media early Thursday morning, confirming that he's indeed off the Dec. 21 card.

"I tore my ACL in training and I won't be fighting in Korea," Ortega wrote on Twitter. "Thankfully it was only a partial tear, so I'm already rehabbing it and the plan is to be back to 100% in two-to-three months."

Ortega said he considered fighting with the injury, but doctors told him it was in his best interest to withdraw from the bout.

"I didn't want to let down the fans, 'The Zombie,' and the UFC, so I strongly considered pushing through it and fighting anyway, but according to the doctors, the risk of a full rupture in the fight was high and that would put me out for up to a year," Ortega wrote. "Sorry guys, I gotta take care of this right now, but I'll make it up to all of you (in) 2020, I promise."

Ortega, the No. 2-ranked featherweight, hasn't fought since a December 2018 loss to 145-pound champion Max Holloway at UFC 231 in Toronto.

The UFC is reportedly working to keep Jung, nicknamed "The Korean Zombie," on the card, which takes place in Busan, South Korea, but an opponent has yet to be found.