UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega has apologized for allegedly slapping Korean rapper Jay Park during a scuffle at Saturday’s UFC 248 card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Park, who has recently served as the interpreter for the Korean featherweight Chan Sung Jung, was said to have angered Ortega with a recent translation of Jung’s comments, which suggested the American had “ducked” him when he pulled out of their scheduled December fight with an ACL injury. Park went on to defeat former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in the UFC Fight Night card in Busan.
On Saturday, Ortega waited until Jung, who is known as the Korean Zombie, went to the bathroom before he approached the fighter’s section and “open palm slapped him”, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
“Last night, you sat 10 meters away from me and Jay Park,” Jung wrote on Instagram. “For two hours nothing happened, so I thought everything was fine. But you fucking attacked Jay Park while I went to the bathroom. Jay Park is not a professional fighter but a musician. You slapped a civilian who merely helped translate.
“Even worse, you were sitting there waiting until I would be absent and attacked Jay Park. It was not a fight like real men would do. What you have done is same as a grown up to beat a child. You should have attacked me. If so, I would have not been upset. You are such a coward for slapping a musician not a fighter.
“If you fucking planned this to fight me and to use my name because people don’t remember your name anymore, then I congratulate you, it worked. I will fight you and I will knock you out and your fucking face will be bloody.”
On Monday, Ortega apologized for his role in the incident with a statement posted to Twitter that has since been deleted: “On Saturday night, I slapped three people a [sic] the same time. I apologize for slapping the ‘translator,’ and I apologize for slapping the ‘K-pop star,’ but I don’t apologize for slapping the ‘instigator.’”
He issued a more formal apology on Tuesday, writing: “I want to officially apologize to JPark for Saturday night, when Zombie is ready we can fight.”
Brian Ortega
(@BrianTcity)I want to officially apologize to JPark for Saturday night, when Zombie is ready we can fight.
Park’s record label, AOMG, released a statement on Sunday confirming Park emerged from the fracas uninjured.
“We checked, and it’s true that Ortega tried to pick a fight,” the statement read. “However, security acted quickly and he was forced out. We know fans are worried, but he is not injured at all. He has no issues to his health right now.”