Alexander Volkanovski

UFC: Is the Volkanovski trilogy or McGregor rematch next for Max Holloway?

by

This past weekend at UFC Vegas 42, Max Holloway (23-6) took on Yair Rodriguez (13-3, 1 NC). Holloway entered the bout as a massive betting favorite on the heels of his insanely dominant performance against Calvin Kattar back in January.

However, it was apparent from the opening round at UFC Vegas 42 that this was going to be a different fight. Rodriguez started out insanely strong and I think it caught Holloway off guard a bit. It took Holloway a little to find his rhythm and Rodriguez was landing bombs.

Halfway through the fight, we saw Holloway really start to turn it on. The former UFC featherweight champion turned up the pressure and mixed things up beautifully. All of this played a huge role in him winning the latter half of the fight.

In the end, the judges gave Holloway a unanimous decision victory. It was Holloway’s second victory of the year and it puts him in a great position as the calendar gets ready to turn over to 2022.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 42?

There are a few options on the table for Max Holloway at the moment. The obvious choice seems to be the trilogy fight with Alexander Volkanovski (23-1) for the UFC featherweight title. So far, Holloway is 0-2 in his bouts against Volkanovski.

However, a majority seem to believe that Holloway won the second fight despite two of the judges giving the fight to Volkanovski. Holloway has established himself as clearly the second best featherweight in the world behind the champion.

It’s basically Holloway and Volkanovski then a gap before you reach the next contender. However, there is another option out there for Holloway if he isn’t interested in challenging Volkanovski for a third time.

That option would be moving up to lightweight for a rematch with Conor McGregor (22-6). These two have playfully gone back and forth for years after their first meeting years ago. McGregor won their first fight by decision.

McGregor even shared a video of him staring down Holloway during Holloway’s introduction at UFC Vegas 42. Holloway has expressed interest in fighting McGregor once The Notorious one returns which should be in the late spring. Time will tell, but there are some good options for The Blessed Express.

After successful title defense at UFC 266, what’s next for Alexander Volkanovski?

by

This past Saturday in the main event of UFC 266, Alexander Volkanovski (23-1) defended his featherweight title against Brian Ortega (15-2, 1 NC). Ortega was getting his second crack at UFC gold while Volkanovski was trying to defend for the second time.

When this fight was first announced, I really liked Ortega’s chances. The Brian Ortega that fought Chan Sung Jung last year looked like he could be the guy to take out Volkanovski. Or, so I thought.

Volkanovski has had an interesting run so for as UFC champion. He did the unthinkable when he defeated Max Holloway (22-6) to win the title. Then he barely edged out Holloway in the second fight to retain.

However, the split decision nature of the second fight has casted some doubts regarding his status as UFC champion. Well, Saturday night he did a pretty damn good job of silencing those who casted doubt.

From the opening bell, Volkanovski controlled the fight. Sensational feints and pinpoint striking had Ortega flustered throughout the fight. However, there was one moment where the fight almost went to Ortega.

Ortega locked in a mounted guillotine in the third round. It was so deep that I was tapping from my chair at home. However, the UFC champion gutted it out and survived. Ultimately, he won a lopsided unanimous decision.

What’s next after UFC 266?

Volkanovski now finds himself in an interesting spot after UFC 266. To me, the clear option for his next opponent is the trilogy with Max Holloway. However, Holloway has a fight with Yair Rodriguez in November so there’s likely going to be a layoff for the champ.

Nobody is expecting Holloway to have troubles with Yair Rodriguez so I think the plan is already in place for the UFC to do the trilogy. However, there could be an outside the box idea that could get considered.

Henry Cejudo (16-2) continues to tease a comeback. The former two-division UFC champion and Olympic Gold Medalist retired last year after defending his bantamweight crown. He’s talked about his desire to capture a belt in three weight classes which has never been done.

I do not expect the UFC to go in this direction, but I wouldn’t dismiss it either. If Volkanovski wants to fight relatively close to the beginning of the year, they might have to go a different direction than Holloway. That direction could be the King of Cringe.

What’s next for Brian Ortega after UFC 266?

by
Brian Ortega, UFC

This past Saturday in the main event of UFC 266, the featherweight title was on the line. After coaching on The Ultimate Fighter, Alexander Volkanovski (23-1) defended his UFC title against Brian “T-City” Ortega (15-2, 1 NC).

I was incredibly intrigued by what kind of fight we would see from both men. Somehow, Volkanovski always seems to fly under the radar. Probably considering the fact that most believe he lost his second fight to Max Holloway.

Nevertheless, he holds two wins over Holloway and a win over Jose Aldo. He was the slight favorite, but there were a lot of people high on Brian Ortega. To be honest, I was one of them.

After Ortega’s performance against The Korean Zombie, I was convinced he was going to win the UFC title. However, over the last couple of weeks, I changed my pick leading up to the fight because I overlook Volkanovski so much and I’m glad I switched.

Ortega was game, but all night Volkanovski was a step ahead. However, there were two moments where Ortega almost got the win. In the third round, Ortega locked in a deep mounted guillotine choke.

Volkanovski admitted that he thought he was going to lose the belt, but he survived. Later in the round, Ortega almost got a triangle choke but against the champion slipped out. At the end of the day, Ortega came close, but Volkanovski retained at UFC 266.

What’s next for T-City after UFC 266?

Brian Ortega has now had two shots at UFC gold and he’s been brutalized in both of those fights. Max Holloway beat him up so bad that the doctors had to call a stop to the action.

The doctors almost had to call a stop to the fight on Saturday as well. However, despite how swollen and bloody Ortega got, he never stopped trying. In fact, he pushed forward and threw everything he had in the final round on Saturday night.

To me, it’s clear that Brian Ortega is not the best featherweight in the UFC, but he might be the toughest. His heart is unmatched and he wasn’t going anywhere despite the damage he took from the champion.

After this loss, he’s going to need to take some time off. However, when he’s ready to return, I think he’ll be right back in the mix. The Max Holloway – Yair Rodriguez fight is being looked at as a title eliminator in November.

Personally, I think a great fight would be with him and whoever loses that fight. That would give him enough time off, but it would also give him someone in a similar position. That’s what I think the UFC should do next for Ortega.

Alexander Volkanovski defeats Brian Ortega in a classic at UFC 266

by

In the main event of UFC 266, we saw a showdown for the featherweight championship. The undisputed UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) was back to defend his title against “T-City” Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC).

Alexander Volkanovski lost his fourth professional fight which occurred in 2013. He hasn’t lost since. The champion is a perfect 9-0 in the UFC which includes two victories over Max Holloway. Volkanovski was hoping to add Ortega to his hit list.

That said, Brian Ortega was not going to be an easy challenge to overcome. T-City looks like a completely different fighter than he was a few of years ago when he got his first crack at the UFC title against Max Holloway.

After nearly a two year layoff due to injuries, Ortega returned last October and outclassed Chan Sung Jung. In that fight he showed tremendous improvement in his striking. He believes he’s now ready to become the UFC featherweight champion.

UFC 266 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 266 main event started with a touch of the gloves. Volkanovski throws a low kick to start the striking. Ortega looking to strike from range here in the opening minute. Body kick lands from the champion.

Low kick from Volkanovski and Ortega comes up top with a head kick attempt. Ortega pushes forward with a couple of nice jabs. A nice jab from Volkanovski as Ortega enters range. Big overhand right from the champion.

Nice low kick lands for Ortega. Ortega lands a jab that looked like it wobbled the legs of Volkanovski briefly, but he appears okay. Volkanovski goes right back to pressuring and lands some nice leg kicks.

Body kick from Volkanovski and he lands a check left hook. Jab lands for Ortega. Stiff jab from Volkanovski. Big right hand lands for Volkanovski. Both men are bleeding here near the end of the first.

Nice combination lands for Volkanovski and Ortega lands a nice leg kick. Body kick from the champion and Ortega lands a couple of nice straights. Ortega lands a couple of nice shots near the end of the first, but I have it 1-0 Volkanovski at UFC 266.

Round 2

Both men had their moments in the first at UFC 266 and neither gained a ton of momentum. The second starts with another touch of the gloves and Volkanovski goes right back to the pressure with low kicks.

Body kick from Volkanovski is countered by a beautiful combination from Ortega. Low kick from the champion lands and Ortega counters with a jab. Left hook from Volkanovski. Powerful leg kick from Ortega spins around Volkanovski.

Volkanovski lands a body kick flush. He steps in but Ortega lands a nice combination to back him off. Good lead hook from the champion. Volkanovski stepping up the pressure here.

Nice right hand by Ortega lands but Volkanovski is just plotting forward. Jab from Ortega countered by two leg kicks from Volkanovski. Huge combination lands for the champion and he’s getting more aggressive here.

Powerful leg kick from Ortega backs Volkanovski up for a second. However, the champion keeps moving forward. Another good 1-2 lands for Volkanovski. Jab from Volkanovski countered by a leg kick from Ortega. The second ends nd I think it’s 2-0 Volkanovski at UFC 266.

Round 3

Brian Ortega has had moments, but he needs to win this round. They touch gloves to start the third and Ortega lands a jab to start the striking. Good low kick counter from Volkanovski. Volkanovski lands another kick and that one seemed to hurt Ortega a little.

Ortega tries to counter but doesn’t land. Pressure from the champion who’s looking for that leg kick. Ortega steps in and eats a massive combination from Volkanovski. Ortega seems a little wobbly here and Volkanovski is putting a ton of pressure on him.

However, a big combination from Ortega stops the pressure. Nice overhand shot from Volkanovski. Ortega is really busted up now, but he comes back and lands a good shot. Big left hand lands for Volkanovski.

Nice left hook lands for Ortega but his nose looks smashed. Nice jab from the champion. Volkanovski slips and Ortega takes big advantage. Ortega locks in a mounted guillotine and it’s very tight.

The champion almost seems out but somehow survives. Volkanovski then gets top position and he’s pouring it on Ortega badly. Then Ortega locks in a triangle choke and it’s very deep.

Once again the champion survives and pushes through. Volkanovski starts raining down massive shots to the end the round. Goodness gracious what a round at UFC 266.

Round 4

Entering the fourth and the fans are on their feet at UFC 266. The doctors almost stopped it in between rounds but we fight on. Volkanovski immediately on the pressure to start the fourth round.

Low kick lands for the champion. Two straight jabs from Volkanovski. Ortega is still trying to recover a bit. The challenger is plotting forward now and lands a nice right hand. Good jab from Volkanovski finds the mark.

Powerful left hook lands from the champion. Ortega gets a body lock and gets a takedown. The challenger immediately tries to jump on another choke, but he can’t lock it in. Volkanovski ends up on top and the ground and pound starts.

Big elbows from Volkanovski landing here. Ortega is still trying to attack with submissions, but he seems really exhausted here. Big shots landing from the champion. Volkanovski postures up and he’s landing massive shots on Ortega.

The referee is looking at stopping this one. More big shots from Volkanovski land. Volkanovski backs up and lets Ortega stand up. Ortega looks out on his feet, but he makes it to the end of the round. 4-0 Volkanovski at UFC 266.

Round 5

Entering the final round at UFC 266 and Ortega is going to need a miracle here. They touch gloves and here we go. Ortega pushes forward and tries to land a big shot but nothing home.

Head kick attempt from Ortega and Volkanovski is pressing forward. Big jab from Volkanovski lands. He doubles up on it which forces a takedown attempt from Ortega. Volkanovski backs him up and lands an elbow against the fence.

Nice little right hook lands for Ortega. Ortega coming on a little here the fifth and he’s really trying. Volkanovski lands a nice combination which slows him down a bit. Ortega is now the one pushing forward as Volkanovski is slowing a bit.

Big right hand over the top from Ortega. These two are just standing and trading. Nice uppercut and right hand from Ortega. Now it’s Volkanovski who starts pressuring the challenger.

Nice jab lands for Volkanovski. Flying knee to the body lands for Ortega. Ortega is wearing damage but he’s just walking forward through everything. They both trading big shots. Ortega goes all out in the final seconds but can’t find the finish. He will win the final round, but not the fight.

Alexander Volkanovski def. Brian Ortega by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-44, 49-46)

UFC 266 Preview: Alexander Volkanovski – Brian Ortega

by

Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 266, we will see a showdown for the featherweight championship. The undisputed UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) is back to defend his title against “T-City” Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC).

This fight comes on the heels of the two men coaching opposite each other on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Originally, they were supposed to fight in March, however, the fight got pushed back after the champion came down with covid.

Alexander Volkanovski lost his fourth professional fight which occurred in 2013. He hasn’t lost since. The champion is a perfect 9-0 in the UFC which includes two victories over Max Holloway. Volkanovski is hoping to add Ortega next to his hit list.

That said, Brian Ortega is not going to be an easy challenge to overcome. T-City looks like a completely different fighter than he was a few of years ago when he got his first crack at the UFC title against Max Holloway.

After nearly a two year layoff due to injuries, Ortega returned last October and outclassed Chan Sung Jung. In that fight he showed tremendous improvement in his striking. He believes he’s now ready to become the UFC featherweight champion.

UFC 266 Prediction

I’m expecting Brian Ortega to start out really strong at UFC 266. To be completely honest with you, I think he’s going to take the champion by surprise throughout the first two rounds on the feet.

Perhaps, maybe even Ortega hurts the champion here or there. However, I think Volkanovski is going to press through it. On pure activity, I really like Volkanovski the longer the fight goes.

The champion has shown the ability to make adjustments on the fly and adapt to whatever his opponent is doing. He did that in his last fight with Max Holloway and I think he’ll do it again tomorrow night.

We are in for a tremendous main event, but I truly believe that the UFC title is going to stay with New Zealand’s City Kickboxing tomorrow night. It’ll be close, but Volkanovski will retain.

Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski by Split Decision

After sensational win at UFC Vegas 35, what’s next for Giga Chikadze?

by

This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 35, we saw a big time showdown in the featherweight division. Two of the very best and most dynamic strikers in the promotion went head-to-head as Giga Chikadze (14-2) took on Edson Barboza (22-10).

Since moving down to 145 pounds, Edson Barboza has looked tremendous. Had it not been for poor judging, he would’ve carried a perfect record at 145 pounds into UFC Vegas 35‘s main event.

That said, Chikadze was going to be his toughest test to date. Barboza has always been known for his tremendous striking. However, this was really the first time he was going to be going up against someone that’s at a higher level.

Giga Chikadze showed just how special he is on Saturday night. Barboza has always stifled opponents with his speed and power. However, he was lacking in both of those categories compared to Chikadze on Saturday night.

Giga landed beautiful kicks throughout the first couple of rounds. He also had bursts where he was so much faster compared to Barboza. Eventually, he caught him with the shot he was looking for. In the third round, Chikadze poured it on and stopped Barboza at UFC Vegas 35.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 35?

After the fight was over, there was one name on the mind of Giga Chikadze. That name was former UFC featherweight champion and arguably the greatest featherweight in the history of the promotion, Max Holloway (22-6).

Holloway was supposed to headline a Fight Night in July against Yair Rodriguez. That bout was expected to be a UFC title eliminator, however, Holloway had to pull out of the fight with an injury.

Currently, the UFC is targeting that fight for November according to Dana White. However, Chikadze might have changed the plan. There’s no word on it yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the promotion tries to get Chikadze in that spot.

If Holloway isn’t next, Chikadze wants to be the backup fighter for the UFC 266 main event. Next month, Alexander Volkanovski will defend against Brian Ortega. If one of those guys falls out, Chikadze wants to be the backup. I could see the promotion doing that as well.

Either way, Chikadze is going to be at the very top of the UFC’s featherweight division once the new rankings come out. Don’t be surprised to see the featherweight from Georgia in a title eliminator in his next fight.

UFC’s TUF 29 bantamweight final is set

by

Tonight on the UFC‘s Ultimate Fighter on ESPN+, we saw the final semi-final matchup in the bantamweight division. Team Ortega’s Vince Murdock (12-4) was taking on Brady Hiestand (5-1) of Team Volkanovski.

Prior to this episode, Team Volkanovski’s Ricky Turcios (10-2) punched his ticket to the UFC‘s Ultimate Finale. He did so by defeating Liudvik Sholinian by decision. Hiestand was looking to make the bantamweight finale a Team Volkanovski exclusive event.

Prior to the fight on tonight’s episode, the two coaches squared off in the coaches challenge. The challenge on this season was a good ole fashion game of cornhole. Brian Ortega seemed much more confident than the UFC champion Volkanovski going into the challenge.

The winning coach was set to receive $10,000 along with $1,500 for each member of his team. Ortega was able to win the game of cornhole then he turned to UFC president Dana White and asked if he could make his winnings $12,000.

White agreed and Ortega said that he was distributing the $12,000 to the fighters of Team Volkanovski so every fighter would get $1,500. A very classy move by T-City.

UFC’s Bantamweight Finale Set

After the coaches challenge, it was time to move on to the fight. Again, the winner was going to be fighting at The Ultimate Finale with a shot to earn a contract with the UFC.

When the fight started out, Hiestand immediately moved forward with pressure. Murdock looked to strike on the outside, but Hiestand did a really good job of closing the distance.

Hiestand was able to get in deep on a double leg and he took Murdock to the ground. Once the fight was on the ground, it was all Hiestand. Hiestand passed Murdock’s guard with relative ease and eventually found himself in an extremely dominant position.

He started raining down punches and the referee called a stop to the action in the first and the UFC featherweight champion has two fighters competing at the finale. After the fight, we learned that Murdock suffered a knee injury early on in the round.

UFC Bantamweight Finale – Ricky Turcios vs Brady Hiestand

Is AJ McKee the best featherweight in the world after Bellator 263?

by
AJ McKee

This past Saturday at Bellator 263, we saw the conclusion of the Featherweight Grand Prix in the main event. The champion Patricio Pitbull (32-5) was looking to defend his title against the undefeated challenger AJ McKee (18-0).

McKee has a superstar quality about him, but many were still picking the Bellator champion heading into Saturday. Patricio Pitbull is the greatest fighter in the promotion’s history and he owns virtually every Bellator record there is to own.

Saturday night was going to tell us just how good AJ McKee is. Well, AJ McKee is not just good, he’s something truly special. McKee dropped Pitbull in the first round at Bellator 263 with a beautiful combination and he finished him with a standing guillotine.

In a fight that was built to be the best versus the best, McKee made it look incredibly easy. It reminded me of when Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to become UFC featherweight champion. Just like McGregor, McKee left no doubts at Bellator 263.

Bellator 263 Proved McKee’s Greatness

After his dominant win at Bellator 263 many are wondering if he’s the best in the world regardless of promotion. Over the course of recent history, the UFC champion has been considered to be the best of the best.

However, Bellator has a legit argument with their new featherweight champion. While Patricio Pitbull was a dominant champion, nobody ever considered him to be better than Max Holloway or Alexander Volkanovski.

He was always seen as a step below them, however, McKee is not. I truly believe that McKee is on that elite level with the best that the UFC has to offer. The 26 year old has it all. He has incredible ground skills and he’s developed dangerous striking to go along with it.

Who is the best in the world?

At Bellator 263, he showed off the full package. Now, when everyone is at their absolute best, I still believe in my heart that Max Holloway is the best featherweight on the planet. Yes, he’s lost to Volkanovski twice. However, I do not believe he lost that second fight last year.

The Max Holloway that we saw in January is the best featherweight in the world. While I don’t think McKee is the best in the world, I think he’s right there with those guys. It’s truly a shame that he fights for Bellator in that we won’t be able to see him fight the best of the best.

That said, McKee’s contract is coming up soon. McKee told MMA Junkie that he would like to resign with Bellator if they show him the money. McKee has fought all 18 of his professional fights under the Bellator banner.

However, the UFC is interested. Dana White did come out and say that he would take McKee to lunch making good on a bet McKee made with him when he was a child. McKee told the UFC president that he would become world champion and when that happens, White had to take him to lunch.

White told TSN that he would make good on that bet and also said that when his contract is up, they’d be interested in talking. Time will tell what McKee ends up doing, but make no mistake about it, the new Bellator champion is a star.

Volkanovski – Ortega and Shevchenko – Murphy booked for UFC 266

by

The UFC is planning a massive event for their September PPV. First we learned earlier today that the matchup between Nick Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) and Robbie Lawler (28-15, 1 NC) was finalized for UFC 266 on September 25th.

The rematch between the two legends will be a five-round, non-title, non-main event matchup. This is only the second time that the UFC has ever done this. Nate Diaz – Leon Edwards was the first matchup to get the non-main event five-round treatment.

Now, we have learned that the promotion is adding two title fights on top of it. Dana White confirmed with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto this evening that the promotion had finalized a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski (22-1) and top contender Brian Ortega (15-1, 1 NC).

Both men are fresh off of their coaching stints on The Ultimate Fighter and they are ready to battle it out. Originally, the two men were supposed to fight back in March. However, the UFC featherweight champion came down with COVID and the fight got pushed back.

The delay ended up being a blessing in disguise as the two men coached on TUF which created more intrigue around the matchup. While this featherweight title fight is exciting, it’s not the only title fight that’s heading to UFC 266.

UFC flyweight title on the line

White also told ESPN this evening that the flyweight queen, Valentina Shevchenko (21-3), will be defending her title against Lauren Murphy (15-4). The matchup will be the co-main event of UFC 266.

Murphy has won five fights in a row on her way to earning this shot at Shevchenko. She’s also one of the few flyweights in the top ten that hasn’t had a chance to fight Shevchenko. On September 25th, she will get her chance.

Lauren Murphy is going to be a massive betting underdog and for good reason. You can easily make the argument that skill-for-skill, Valentina Shevchenko is the best female fighter on the planet. Honestly, it is something truly special to watch her compete inside the octagon.

The only losses she has in the UFC have come against Amanda Nunes at 135 pounds. Granted, I still maintain that I thought Shevchenko won the last time they fought. At flyweight, Shevchenko is a perfect 7-0. During that stretch, she has four finishes and in her three decisions, she’s lost a grand total of two rounds.

UFC headliner between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez postponed

by

Some unfortunate UFC news was broken this morning by ESPN Deportes. The outlet reported that the highly anticipated headliner next month between Max Holloway (22-6) and Yair Rodriguez (13-2, 1 NC) is off.

The fight was set to headline a UFC Fight Night on July 17th. ESPN reported that Holloway has sustained an injury and will not be ready to compete next month. However, the promotion is keeping the fight together and is already working on new dates.

At this time there is no word on the severity of the injury to Max Holloway. This fight was being looked at as a title eliminator as both Holloway and Rodriguez are ranked at the very top of the UFC‘s featherweight division.

Back in January, Max Holloway put on the best performance of his career. On Fight Island, Holloway fought Calvin Kattar and broke virtually every significant strike record. In reality, that performance should have earned him another shot at the UFC title.

Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega were set to fight at UFC 260 in March for the featherweight title. The winner of that fight would have lined up perfectly with Max Holloway, however, Volkanovski got COVID and that fight was pushed back.

Better timing for the UFC

Volkanovski and Ortega ended up coaching The Ultimate Fighter and now they are currently scheduled to fight at the end of September at UFC 266. Again, there’s no word on the severity of Holloway’s injury. However, this fight getting pushed back actually works out better in lining up the two headlining featherweight fights.

The early word is that the fight could be rescheduled for September or early October which again lines up perfectly. This featherweight headliner is the biggest fight of Yair Rodriguez’s UFC career.

By the time the fight comes together, Rodriguez would have nearly been off for two years. The last time we saw Rodriguez in the UFC was October of 2019 when he defeated Jeremy Stephens. There have been a number of issues that have kept him out of action.

However, he’s back and he’s ready to go. This fight should be a fantastic one whenever it takes place and it will provide a clear-cut number one contender in the UFC’s featherweight division.