After winning his past 19 bouts, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will defend his title against second-ranked Brian Ortega.
Tonight’s UFC 266 is headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against second-ranked Brian Ortega.
After winning his past 19 bouts, Volkanovski is excited to re-enter the Octagon and continue his streak.
“Everyone has a puncher’s chance, but that’s the only chance Ortega has,” said Volkanovski (22-1). “He doesn’t believe he can beat me. I don’t see the belt going anywhere.”
Ortega (15-1, 1 NC) is one of the sport’s most skilled jiu-jitsu artists, and he will need to avoid boxing with Volkanovski and instead bring the fight to the mat in order to have his best shot at winning the title. But Volkanovski is the favorite for a reason, and he has given no reason to doubt his dominance. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, he noted that he also has big plans in store following this title defense.
“I want to fight regularly after this, even if that means I move up a division until we find out who’s next,” said Volkanovski. “Next year, I want to be number-one on the pound-for-pound rankings. I want to be at the top of that list.”
Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports
A second title fight on the 266 card is women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defending her title against Lauren Murphy. Shevchenko (21-3) has won seven in a row, as well as 14 of her last 16. Every indication is that Murphy (15-4) will become the next opponent Shevchenko puts away with ease.
In a rematch 17 years in the making, Nick Diaz looks, once again, to knock out Robbie Lawler in Las Vegas. The two fought at UFC 47 in 2004, with Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) defeating Lawler (28-15, 1 NC) by KO. Neither fighter will look like his former self, yet this still has the potential to be the most electric part of the night.
Also on the card is a heavyweight bout pitting Curtis Blaydes against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, as well as a women’s flyweight fight featuring Jéssica Andrade against Cynthia Calvillo. For the heavyweights, Blaydes (14-3, 1 NC) is looking to recover from a devastating knockout loss to Derrick Lewis, while Rozenstruik (12-2) wants to prove he belongs among the top contenders of the division. This should be Blaydes’ night, especially if he can use his wrestling. And for the flyweights, a win for Andrade (21-9) will help build momentum for a rematch against Shevchenko. Calvillo (9-2-1) is coming off a defeat to Katlyn Chookagian, and she will need to find a way to counter Andrade’s power.
This is a solid card from the opener to the main event, especially with the chance to see Shevchenko dominate and the return of Diaz.
More MMA Coverage:
- Biggest Questions Heading Into UFC 266How Marc Ratner Landed a Spot in the UFC Hall of FameValentina Shevchenko Has No Doubts About Defending Title
Author
Hi, Its me Hafeez. A webdesigner, blogspot developer and UI/UX Designer. I am a certified Themeforest top Author and Front-End Developer. I'am business speaker, marketer, Blogger and Javascript Programmer.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment