UFC veteran Brian “T-City” Ortega credited his faith in Jesus Christ for his epic comeback win against dangerous kickboxer Yair Rodriguez.

The odds were against Ortega from the beginning, who closed as a small betting underdog against Rodriguez, who had the advantage of fighting in front of his countrymen in Mexico City. Things got worse for Ortega during the introductions, as he appeared to roll his ankle while warming up. He could be seen wincing in pain and shaking his leg out while waiting for the fight to begin.

The end appeared near for Ortega within the first two minutes of the fight, as Rodriguez managed to land a number of boxing combinations and brutal kicks to the body. Ortega — who has become known for durability — throughout his lengthy UFC career — managed to survive despite the onslaught.

The tide turned in the second round, as Ortega was able to work in his world class ground game. After controlling Rodriguez for much of the second frame, Ortega once again took the fight to the ground in the third and managed to pull off a crafty submission victory.

In his post-fight interview, credited his newfound Christian faith for the win. “First off, I’d like to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “Without him, I’m nothing. And before I answer your question, I love my fearless church out there, but guys, God will bless you in front of the same wicked people who try to break you. Remember that God is great, God is good.”

Ortega was initially slated to face Rodriguez in the main event of UFC Long Island in 2022, but the fight was called off in the first round after Ortega injured his shoulder. The injury required surgery and kept him on the sidelines for more than a year and a half.

While speaking to reporters after the fight, Ortega shared more insight into his mindset heading into Saturday’s fight.

“I’m not gonna lie to you bro, like I’ll be honest right here; it’s been rough. I lost one of my best friends, I lost two friends after that. I got betrayed by people that were close to me. I had four surgeries back-to-back to back. Just a-lot of things in my personal life bro,” Ortega told Full Send MMA.

“And it looked dark. And, bro, I know a lot of people think it’s cheesy or whatever, bro. But I went to church, I found God. And a year ago, I was a broken man. And now, today, I’m married. I got my kids with me. God gave me my family back, and look at us, we’re doing good.”