UFC Predictions - UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega
After a lesser Fight Night show this past weekend, the UFC presents a major pay-per-view this Saturday in the form of UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega.
UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega not only boasts two title fights, but it also features the return of one of the UFC’s biggest superstars in Nick Diaz.
🏆 Volkanovski v Ortega
🏆 Shevchenko v Murphy
🔥 Diaz v Lawler II
Two elite title fights and two Octagon OGs throwing down.
🔟 days to go!
#UFC266 | Sep 25 | BT Sport https://t.co/zxM6j7GSXi
With high-level clashes up and down this card, UFC 266 is undoubtedly a show that MMA fans cannot afford to miss.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega.
#1. UFC featherweight title: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega
This one has been a seriously long time coming. Current UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski was set to defend his title against Brian Ortega way back at UFC 260. However, the bout was canceled when 'Alexander the Great' tested positive for COVID-19.
Since then, the two men have acted as coaches for the 29th season of The Ultimate Fighter, delaying the contest until this weekend.
Will that stint as rival coaches affect the fight? It seems doubtful. Any rivalry developed between the two felt largely incidental and never truly personal. The champion was often critical of Ortega during the show and in interviews, but never hostile. Neither Volkanovski nor 'T-City' is going to come into this one overly angry.
Incredibly, these two fighters have just one loss between them. Ortega was beaten by Max Holloway at UFC 231 in his previous title shot. Volkanovski remains unbeaten after defeating Holloway in two straight bouts to win and retain his title.
Does that mean 'Alexander the Great' holds an advantage coming into this weekend's clash? Quite possibly, especially if the bout takes place on the feet.
While Ortega did have some success dealing with Holloway standing, he was outclassed for the most part.
Volkanovski, on the other hand, became basically the first featherweight in years to get the better of 'Blessed' on the feet in their two contests. He surprised the Hawaiian with his speed, kicking ability and striking accuracy.
Ortega appeared to have improved on the feet dramatically in his most recent outing – a largely one-sided decision win against Chan Sung Jung last October. But even then, only time will tell if he can hang with Volkanovski on the feet for five rounds.
NEW AND IMPROVED.
@BrianTCity's time away has brought back a 2.0 version 👏
[ #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] https://t.co/5nyMcdwCKB
That leads us to whether the fight will hit the ground. Brian Ortega should hold the advantage on the mat. 'T-City' is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt.
Unfortunately for Ortega, while Volkanovski isn't a collegiate wrestler, he does have a high takedown defense percentage of 72%. The only fighter to take him down with any real success was Chad Mendes, one of the best wrestlers to ever compete at featherweight.
So is this an unwinnable fight for Ortega? On the face of it, it looks like a bad matchup for him. Volkanovski is a slightly better striker from a technical standpoint and theoretically has good enough takedown defense to fend 'T-City' off.
But Ortega is probably the most dangerous finisher in the featherweight division. He's capable of turning a fight on its head at any time. The fact that of his seven UFC finishes, five came after the second round's halfway point is testament to that.
Essentially, Volkanovski can't afford to make a single slip up here. However, 'Alexander the Great' was able to do that across ten rounds with Holloway. It's unlikely he'll give Ortega enough openings here. With that in mind, Volkanovski via decision is the pick.
The Pick: Volkanovski via unanimous decision
Here are the Latest UFC Predictions by Sportskeeda