UFC 266: Embedded, Episode 2: Alexander Volkanovski works on his ground game; girlfriend Tracy Cortez joins Brian Ortega in training

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Alexander Volkanovski (left), Tracy Cortez & Brian Ortega (right) [Images Courtesy: @alexvolkanovski @briantcity on Instagram]

As UFC 266 draws ever closer, the second episode of the UFC's Embedded series has dropped. The video shows Alexander Volkanovski working on his defensive wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, whilst his upcoming opponent Brian Ortega meets up with his girlfriend and fellow UFC fighter Tracy Cortez.

Alexander Volkanovski is the current UFC featherweight champion, having previously captured and then defended the belt against former champ Max Holloway. As it happens, Holloway is the last man to defeat Brian Ortega.

Volkanovski appears supremely confident ahead of his fight with Ortega. In the episode he stated the following to the camera team:

"I'm just gonna be too much for Ortega. I've got respect for him as a fighter, he's definitely got the skills but the skills he's got is just not gonna be enough on the day."

Whilst it may seem that Volkanovski believes he is miles ahead of his upcoming opponent, it is also clear that his team have been taking Ortega very seriously. Volkanovski's head coach Joe Lopez had the following to say about the matchup:

"Ortega's a formidable opponent. He can do submissions from anywhere. His striking's got a lot better so, yeah, we're ready for it. We've got the diamond, now we're just gonna polish it. That's all we're gonna do."

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Tracy Cortez steps in to help Brian Ortega prepare for UFC 266

The episode also featured Alexander Volkanovski's opponent Brian Ortega, who could be seen training at Gracie University in Torrance, California. Ortega's younger brother Christopher was also at the gym, hitting pads alongside 'T-City'.

Ortega's Muay Thai coach Dr. Jason Park commented that there has been a huge added benefit of having his brother and his girlfriend Tracy Cortez train with them.

Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanski face off this weekend in the main event of UFC 266. The co-main event will see UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko take on Lauren Murphy. Nick Diaz will also rematch Robbie Lawler in a fight that has been dubbed the "people's main event."

You can check out the full second Embedded episode for UFC 266 below:

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