"That was one of the greatest fights you're ever gonna see" - Teddy Atlas praises Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega's featherweight title fight
The UFC 266 main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega last Saturday was an absolute barn burner. The clash is widely considered to be one of the greatest title fights in UFC history.
Both UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski and his challenger Ortega took each other to the limit at the T-Mobile Arena, much to the delight of MMA fans around the world. Now renowned boxing trainer and commentator Teddy Atlas has heaped praise on the two featherweight superstars.
In the latest episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas, he told co-host Ken Rideout that the Volkanovski vs. Ortega bout was one of the greatest he's ever witnessed.
"That (Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega) was one of the greatest fights you are ever going to see. I'm telling you that's Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti, the first one. And (Diego) Coralles vs. (Jose Luis) Castillo, the first one. That's how good it is. It's unbelievable because those guys went all the places. They left the planet. They made us realize we are mortals."
Watch Teddy Atlas discuss Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega in the video below:
Volkanovski, who holds a 23-1 record, has moved up to the No.3 spot in the latest UFC pound-for-pound rankings. He is only behind welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and former two-time light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.
Alexander Volkanovski could face the winner of Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez next
Moments before UFC 266 kicked off, ESPN journalist Brett Okamoto confirmed that former featherweight champion Max Holloway had agreed to fight No.3 contender Yair Rodriguez on November 13.
The duo were originally scheduled to face off at UFC Vegas 31 in July. However, Holloway was injured in the build-up to the encounter and the bout was postponed. The winner of the rearranged blockbuster clash is expected to be the next challenger for featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
UFC is finalizing a featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez to headline a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 13, multiple sources told @bokamotoESPN.
Contracts have not been signed, but the bout is expected to become official shortly. https://t.co/2zL0c1HxU1
'The Great' has already defeated 'Blessed' twice in the past, a unanimous decision win at UFC 245 in 2019 and a split decision result at UFC 251 in 2020.
Alexander Volkanovski claimed the belt from Max Holloway in the first of his two victories over the Hawaiian. Volkanovski hasn't yet squared off against Yair Rodriguez.