LAS VEGAS — Alexander Volkanovski is usually a cool customer. He has never really had any personal issues with an opponent. Until now, that is.
It’s clear Brian Ortega got under the skin of Volkanovski when they were coaching opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter over the summer. On Thursday during their news conference stare-down, Volkanovski brought up Ortega’s 2014 positive drug test. The tensions were extremely high.
On Saturday, the two men will finally settle their differences when Volkanovski defends his UFC featherweight title against Ortega in the main event of UFC 266 in Las Vegas. The bout was initially scheduled for UFC 260 in March, but Volkanovski tested positive for COVID-19, forcing things to be pushed back.
Volkanovski is ESPN’s No. 6-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. ESPN has Volkanovski ranked No. 1 and Ortega ranked No. 3 in the world at featherweight.
Volkanovski (22-1) has won all of his nine UFC fights. The Aussie is coming off a split decision win over Max Holloway at UFC 251 in July 2020, his first title defense. That was a close one and many thought Holloway was the true winner. Volkanovski, 32, hasn’t lost since May 2013, his fourth pro fight. He beat Holloway to win the title at UFC 245 in December 2019.
Ortega (15-1, 1 NC) is coming off a unanimous decision win over Chan Sung Jung last October, a comeback victory for Ortega, who had been out nearly two years. The California native has only one career loss and that also came in a featherweight title fight, against Holloway at UFC 231 in December 2018. Ortega, 30, holds a 7-1 (1 NC) record in the UFC.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko will try to continue her dominant run as UFC women’s flyweight champion against challenger Lauren Murphy. Shevchenko (21-3), a 33-year-old Kyrgyzstan native fighting out of Las Vegas, is ESPN’s No. 2-ranked women’s fighter in the world. Her only UFC losses have come against Amanda Nunes, the pound-for-pound queen and double champion. Murphy (15-4), a 38-year-old Alaskan fighting out of Houston, has won five in a row.
Also on the card, Nick Diaz returns after a layoff of more than six years to take on old rival Robbie Lawler in a five-round middleweight bout. Diaz and Lawler fought way back in 2004, with Diaz winning by second-round knockout at UFC 47. Diaz (26-9, 2 NC), a 38-year-old from California, is a wildly popular former Strikeforce champion looking for his first win since 2011. Lawler (28-15, 1 NC), a 39-year-old fighting out of Florida, has dropped four straight. He is the former UFC welterweight champion.
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Fight in progress: Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (8-3, 2-1 UFC, -490) vs. Martin Sano (4-2-1, 0-0 UFC, +370)
Results:
Men’s featherweight: Jonathan Pearce (11-4, 2-1 UFC) def. Omar Morales (11-2, 3-2 UFC) by second-round submission
Recap to come.
Still to come:
Men’s featherweight title fight: Alexander Volkanovski (c) (22-1, 9-0 UFC, -180) vs. Brian Ortega (15-1 1 NC, 7-1 1 NC UFC, +155)
Women’s flyweight title fight: Valentina Shevchenko (c) (21-3, 10-2 UFC, -1500) vs. Lauren Murphy (15-4, 7-4 UFC, +850)
Middleweight: Nick Diaz (26-9 2 NC, 7-6 1 NC UFC, +120) vs. Robbie Lawler (28-15 1 NC, 13-9 in UFC, -140)
Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes (14-3 1 NC, 9-3 1 NC UFC, -340) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12-2, 6-2 UFC, +270)
Women’s flyweight: Jessica Andrade (21-9, 12-7 UFC, -260) vs. Cynthia Calvillo (9-2-1, 6-2-1 UFC, +210)
Men’s bantamweight: Marlon Moraes (23-8-1, 5-4 UFC, +210) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (13-4, 6-2 UFC, -260)
Lightweight: Dan Hooker (20-10, 10-6 UFC, -150) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (13-3, 5-2 UFC, +125)
Heavyweight: Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-5, 5-3 UFC, +165) vs. Chris Daukaus (11-3, 3-0 UFC, -195)
Women’s flyweight: Roxanne Modafferi (25-19, 4-7 UFC, +330) vs. Taila Santos (17-1, 2-1 UFC, -420)
Lightweight: Uros Medic (7-0, 1-0 UFC, -125) vs. Jalin Turner (10-5, 3-2 UFC, +105)
Middleweight: Cody Brundage (6-1, 0-0 UFC, +125) vs. Nick Maximov (6-0, 0-0 UFC, -150)