Alexander Volkanovski was supposed to defend his featherweight title against Brian Ortega six months back at UFC 260. However, the fight was postponed because Volkanovski tested positive for covid. As a result, this fight is now booked in the main event of UFC 266 on September 25 in Las Vegas Nevada.
Therefore fight fans are highly excited and cannot wait for this event to start. As we head closer to the fight, the two featherweights joined with Michael Eaves for an interview on Sportscenter. During the interview, the featherweight champion was questioned about the challenges he would face against Brian Ortega.
The Great claimed that “Look he is a completely different fighter to what he was a couple of years ago. What you’ve seen in previous fights you know obviously we do a little bit of study and there’s massive changes in their style of fighting and camp and things like that and I’m aware of that.”
He was able to showcase some of them skills in his last performance. But in saying that no disrespect to Zombie. Zombie gave him the opportunity to just let him do his work. But as you know I don’t let people just fight. When they are in front of me it’s a total different ball game. So it’s going to be totally different. He has evolved as a fighter but is it enough, no.
Brian Ortega responds to the claims of Alexander Volkanovski
Since his defeat against Max Holloway for the featherweight title, Ortega showed an impressive performance to defeat The Korean Zombie last year. Therefore he earned a title shot and this would be his second chance to win the gold when he steps into the octagon to face Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266.
As a result, he explained the reason behind his development and also revealed how his last fight has prepared him for a title shot while speaking to Espn reporter Michael Eaves. T-City mentioned that earlier he used to train in a garage and had an unhealthy diet. But after the Max Holloway fight, his thinking process completely changed.
Now after that fight, It told me a level to where you know to hang with these boys. These top, top-level guys you can’t just kind of wing it. You know you have to get some real coaching, some real people hired and hire some real team’s and get to work. Ortega explains that he learned before the Zombie fight due to his injury and became a student of the game.
“I learned more stand up, I learnt how to wrestle and learned to do different things, and started reinventing myself.” He also responded to Volkanovski’s claims of Zombie giving him the opportunity in his last fight.
He believes that “But last fight I don’t think Zombie gave me anything. I took everything, it was a way that I fought him. It goes a way to show you the advancements and the improvements I have done.”
In the end, Brian Ortega’s advancements are visible from his last fight and hence he has worked hard and made a significant development to be where he is right now. Therefore it would be an interesting battle between two of the best featherweights in the division next month at UFC 266.
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