Who won the UFC fight last night (25th September 2021)?

Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega close out UFC 266 in style [Photo via @ufc on Twitter]

UFC 266 lived up to the hype after a night of action-packed bouts at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. From top to bottom, Saturday night's event proved to be one of the most entertaining events of the year.

The main event saw an instant classic clash between featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Brian Ortega. The Australian dominated for long stretches of the bout, but Ortega came close to stealing the victory a couple of times.

HUGE SCENES HERE. 🤯

Ortega drops Volkanovski and JUMPS ON THE NECK! #UFC266 https://t.co/cHV7MEuIBw

Aware that he was behind on the scorecards, Ortega busted out two Hail Mary submission attempts in the third. 'T-City' caught Volkanovski in a tight guillotine choke, but the Aussie miraculously escaped. Towards the end of the frame, Ortega found another opening and locked in a triangle choke.

Respect to the champ @alexvolkanovski 🇦🇺🏆

#UFC266 #AndStill https://t.co/pMftNhVTcv

'The Great' displayed the heart of a champion when he refused to tap despite seemingly being in deep trouble. Ultimately, Volkanovski retained his featherweight crown via unanimous decision (40-49, 50-45, 50-44).

Another masterclass from @BulletValentina 🏆

[ #UFC266 | TUNE IN NOW | Live on ESPN+ PPV: bit.ly/2UIiprt ] https://t.co/CeT3kIHcwG

Meanwhile, the co-main event was a showcase of utter domination by flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko. 'Bullet' scored the TKO win in the fourth and became the first fighter to finish Lauren Murphy.

AS ADVERTISED.

209 months later, @Ruthless_RL exacts his revenge. #UFC266 https://t.co/SCu9EZE4jm

You can't write the history of mixed martial arts without these two.

Here's to the OGs. 👏 #UFC266 https://t.co/luzRgS3x8K

The event also marked the long-awaited return of Nick Diaz. The Stockton native looked sharp early on, but Robbie Lawler ultimately got his revenge. The former welterweight champ connected with a clean right hook to send Diaz crashing down. Referee Jason Herzog called for a stoppage when Diaz failed to get back on his feet.

🪒💢 Blaydes toughness on full display but Rozenstruik has that fight-changing POWER. #UFC266 https://t.co/ekjBvmmUcK

Hard-hitting heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik squared off in a main card matchup. After three rounds, Blaydes emerged victorious via unanimous decision. 'Razor' utilized his superior wrestling ability to get the better of his opponent.

OH MY GOOOOOODNESS!!!!

🤯@JessicaMMAPro just did that!!!!

[ #UFC266 | We’re Live on ESPN+ PPV: bit.ly/2UIiprt ] https://t.co/1M4XahwtMN

The main card opener saw former strawweight title challenger Jessica Andrade return to the winning column. The Brazilian overwhelmed Cynthia Calvillo to secure the TKO win in the first round.

THE HANGMAN DOES IT!

After one crazy week, @DanTheHangman gets the unanimous decision 🇳🇿 #UFC266 https://t.co/569nanDEde

The preliminary card saw the triumphant return of lightweight star Dan Hooker. The Kiwi fighter snapped a two-fight skid by outpointing Nasrat Haqparast.

ROUND OF THE YEAR?! 🤯

🇬🇪🤖 @MerabDvalishvil IS A MACHINE. #UFC266 https://t.co/r9v1RgOI1h

Meanwhile, the prelims featured bout saw one of the most unexpected comebacks in recent memory. Merab Dvalishvili rallied and prevailed in round two after surviving an early onslaught from Marlon Moraes.

UFC 266 main card results

Alexander Volkanovski (C) def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-44)

Valentina Shevchenko (C) def. Lauren Murphy via TKO (Round 4)

Robbie Lawler def. Nick Diaz via TKO (Round 3)

Curtis Blaydes def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Jessica Andrade def. Cynthia Calvillo via TKO (Round 1)

UFC 266 preliminary card results

Merab Dvalishvili def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (Round 2)

Dan Hooker def. Nasrat Haqparast via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Chris Daukaus def. Shamil Abdurakimov via TKO (Round 2)

Talia Santos def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Jalin Turner def. Uros Medic via submission (Round 1)

Nick Maximov def. Cody Brundage via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Matthew Semelsberger def. Martin Sano via knockout (Round 1)

Jonathan Pearce def. Omar Morales via submission (Round 2)