Alex Volkanovski has zero respect for Brian Ortega heading into UFC 266.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Volkanovski vs. Ortega serves as the main event of UFC 266, taking place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sat., Sept. 25 via ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV). The typically reserved Volkanovski had a lot to say about Ortega during the press conference (watch highlights above) and when the fighters faced off (watch all staredowns here).
CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to T-Mobile Arena with a pair of thrilling world championship bouts. The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29 coaches collide when Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, defends his title against No. 2-ranked contender, Brian Ortega. UFC 266’s co-main event will see women’s Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko go for her sixth consecutive title defense when she meets No. 3-seeded contender, Lauren Murphy. Last, and certainly not least, Nick Diaz returns against former Welterweight roost ruler, Robbie Lawler, in a five-round banger.
“I ain’t scared of you. We are going in the cage anyway,” Volkanovski told Ortega during Thursday’s staredown (h/t BJPenn.com). “Mate, I didn’t know about you popping, that s—t don’t sit well with me, you don’t deserve to be here. You are a f—king drug cheat, that’s it, done.”
Volkanovski’s face-off comments mirrored his feelings towards Ortega earlier in the evening.
“To be honest, [he’s] obviously unprofessional,” Volkanovski told reporters on Thursday of working with Ortega on The Ultimate Fighter 29 (h/t MMA Junkie). “I’ve said it all week. Unprofessional and weakness, you know what I mean? What upsets me the most is (he’s) unprofessional. I put the hard yards in my whole life, especially in this career. That’s how I got this belt.
“I just see weakness, unprofessional,” he added. “Obviously, showing weakness a few years back popping [for PEDs], producing, that sh*t annoys me. It’s unprofessional and I ain’t about that s—t.”
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 266 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 266: “Volkanovski vs. Ortega” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
