The return of the UFC’s popular reality show The Ultimate Fighter just wouldn’t feel the same without some good old-fashioned drama. The show launched the careers of Michael Bisping, Kamaru Usman, and Nate Diaz. It also spawned the viral video of a fighter sobbing “just let me bang, bro”. The show’s comeback, at least according to coach Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski, won’t be short on drama. Of rival coach Brian Ortega, he had this to say:
“You can definitely say we’re not friends. He annoys me. And it only took one day of filming!” “I can’t say too much, but it’s a fight show and there is some physicality in there.”
“We’re not friends!” – Volkanovski does NOT like Brian Ortega
Volkanovski was supposed to defend his belt against Ortega earlier this year. However, their scheduled March bout was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Volkanovski later tweeted that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Their bout has not yet been rescheduled. The most likely timeline is for the two to fight in August or September of this year.
Ortega’s last appearance in the UFC was against the Korean Zombie in October 2020. Ortega knocked Chan Sung Jung down several times over the course of the bout. Ortega’s style previous to this fight relied more on his prodigious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ability. However, the Mexican-American’s striking clearly improved in leaps and bounds to earn him a shot at the belt around Volkanovski’s waist.
Alexander Volkanovski lives and trains in the beachside town of Wollongong, Australia, about an hour south of Sydney. His last title defence came in a hotly contested rematch against Max Holloway, winning the fight via split decision. This result was controversial in the MMA community, including “Big” John McCarthy, who effectively invented the rules of modern MMA. UFC President Dana White similarly believed that Holloway deserved the win.
Expectations are high going into Volkanovski’s next title defence. There’s no love lost between the two Ultimate Fighter coaches. Volkanovski said of Ortega:
“While the guy is quiet, you can tell by the little remarks he makes that he’s also full of himself.
I’m not a trash talker. But still, if I disagree with someone, if I think somebody is wrong, I’ll call them out on it.
“And he got me to that point where I felt like I needed to say something.”
Do you think Volkanovski can defend his title after a disputed victory over Max Holloway? Or will Brian Ortega claim the strap?
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