Tag: UFC 266

Jessica Andrade eyes winner of Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili: ‘I want to be the champion’

Following a TKO win at UFC 266, Jessica Andrade wants to get the winner of Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] wants another crack at the title.

Following her most recent win, the former UFC strawweight champion feels ready to compete in another title fight. Andrade (22-9 MMA, 13-7 UFC) wants to drop back down to 115 pounds and face the winner of the upcoming Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili rematch.

Andrade stopped Cynthia Calvillo on the main card of Saturday’s UFC 266 event at T-Mobile Arena. It was a first-round TKO for the Brazilian.

“The moment is perfect because I can maybe have a trilogy with Rose or maybe a rematch with Weili,” Andrade told reporters in Portuguese at the UFC 266 post-fight press conference.

“I know I’m good at 115. I know I’m good at 125 and even 135, also. So it all depends on the timing. Sometimes weight divisions don’t have the timing you need. I want to be the champion. I think now is the time to fight against either and bring this belt back to Brazil.”

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Namajunas defends her belt against Zhang in an immediate rematch at UFC 268 on Nov. 6 in New York City. Andrade, who’s been in title fights with both fighters, believes Namajunas will get the job done once again.

“I think Rose is going to win,” Andrade said. “It’s not going to be as easy as the first one, but Rose has way more experience in the UFC, and she knows how to handle the pressure of being a UFC champion. I think that’s going to make the difference, and I think Rose is going to win by decision.”

To see the full interview with Andrade, check out the video above.

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Alexander Volkanovski embraced entertainment aspect, glad to leave fans ‘absolutely buzzin” after UFC 266

Despite not securing a finish, Alexander Volkanovski was happy to put on an entertaining fight for the fans.

LAS VEGAS – Despite not getting the finish he wanted, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] was happy he was able to entertain the masses on Saturday.

Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) emerged victorious after an incredible fight against Brian Ortega (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC)  that earned “Fight of the Night” honors. The coaches of “The Ultimate Fighter 29” put on a classic featherweight title fight in the main event, and despite not getting the finish, the champ was satisfied with the result.

UFC 266 took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN News/ESPN+.

“I talked about getting the finish, and I wanted to get the finish, but at least it was a war, at least it was entertainment,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “Straight after, I was like ‘F*ck, I didn’t get the finish,’  you know what I mean? But then you come out and everyone’s just absolutely buzzin’.”

The fight had its share of back-and-forth moments, which made for a fantastic battle. Volkanovski largely had success early on the feet, utilizing his quick footwork with feints to land punches. The gameplan was to give his opponent many different looks to make it a difficult challenge to solve.

Ortega landed a few clean strikes as well, but the scariest moment of the fight for the champion came in the third round when the challenger nearly pulled off the victory out of nowhere when he slapped on a very deep guillotine choke attempt.

“It was deep, it was ‘Oh f*ck, I’m about to lose the belt’ deep,” Volkanovski said about the choke. “That was as deep as it can get, no sh*t. As deep as it could get. I remember I was making f*cking weird noises.”

Ultimately, Volkanovski escaped the very deep choke attempt and regained his composure to finish out the round and the fight strong in order to retain his title. Although the two men had their differences in the lead-up to the fight and during the filming of TUF 29, Volkanovksi says he has nothing but respect for Ortega after spending 25 minutes inside the cage with him.

“I thought I was going to break him,” Volkanovski said. “I thought he was broken after the third round, but the ref decided to give him a minute to ask him questions. He wasn’t answering them right, I was looking. … He couldn’t even see where he was going. I was like, ‘That’s it, it’s over.’ I go in there, start putting pressure, and he’s firing back just like he was like nothing happened. He’s tough, he’s durable, and credit to him.”

The victory marked the second title defense for Volkanovski, who admits he doesn’t know what is next for him at this point, considering contender options and the travel situation with COVID-19 lockdowns and visas being such an issue for his family and team in New Zealand and Australia.

With Max Holloway taking on Yair Rodriguez in November, it could be longer than Volkanovski would like to wait for the winner of that fight to be ready. He may stay in Las Vegas and see what fights are available to him in the near future, but would also entertain a move up to lightweight if no challenger for his belt would be available.

“We’re gonna talk to the family, talk to the team, and see what’s our best move,” Volkanovski said. “Maybe we ride it out here, just smash some fights out, everyone just build everything up and kick some ass.”

Watch the full post-fight interview with Volkanovski in the video above.

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Valentina Shevchenko: UFC 266 showed I’m on my way to being ‘untouchable’

After UFC 266, Valentina Shevchenko revealed her ultimate martial arts goal is to become “untouchable” – and she thinks she’s on her way.

LAS VEGAS – Saturday, UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] once again put on a masterclass title defense when she defeated Lauren Murphy via fourth-round TKO.

While many onlookers were impressed by the Kyrgyzstani fighter’s output and dominance, Shevchenko (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) indicated at a post-fight news conference the fight played out how she expected as she moved toward her ultimate goal of “untouchable.”

“Lauren, she’s a tough opponent,” Shevchenko told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “She’s physical and very strong but I wanted to play my game. My ultimate goal as a martial artist is to reach the level when your opponents, when they’re fighting each other, (they look) furious, powerful, very strong. But when they fight me, it’s like, they cannot touch you but you can finish them. It’s kind of like what I want (to) be as a martial artist: untouchable. This is kind of next level of martial artist.”

Fresh off her victory, Shevchenko isn’t certain what the future holds. She was unwilling to call for an opponent and said she’ll accept whoever the UFC brings her way, regardless of whether or not it means a trilogy fight against women’s featherweight and bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC).

“In the flyweight division, there are so many strong fighters,” Shevchenko said. “I didn’t know how the fight was going to be (between) Jessica Andrade and Cynthia Calvillo. Cynthia was kind of top-level but Jessica just smashed her so I don’t know who’s the next opponent but I can say in (the) flyweight division, there is every time more and more names coming up so I’m ready to fight all of them.”

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As for a timeline, Shevchenko has some minor issues she’d like to address – but she doesn’t expect a lengthy recovery.

“I’m pretty healthy,” Shevchenko said. “I just have small things after the fight during the training camp. It’s going to be things that (I take care of) very quickly and easily. So right now what is next for me is next Saturday, (the) fight of my sister. She is coming into her fight week and I will be in her corner, supporting her so she’s going to all the same. I don’t know when is next because I’m ready to fight tomorrow. But what does the UFC have for me? It (could be) different.”

UFC 266 took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPNews/ESPN+.

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Robbie Lawler says Nick Diaz didn’t quit at UFC 266: ‘It was a lot of damage’

Robbie Lawler didn’t think there was anything particular unusual about the ending of his rematch with Nick Diaz at UFC 266.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] didn’t think there was anything particularly unusual about the ending of his rematch with [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] at UFC 266.

After a back-and-forth slugfest for two rounds, Lawler (29-15 MMA, 14-9 UFC) came out in the third of Saturday’s featured bout at the T-Mobile Arena and landed some solid strikes on Diaz (26-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC), who was making his anticipated return from a more than six-year hiatus.

Lawler landed a strong blow that hurt Diaz early in the third round and made him fall to his back. He refused to follow Diaz to the ground, and when referee Jason Herzog tried to instruct Diaz to his feet, he refused and the fight was waved off.

Some critics said post-fight that Diaz quit. Lawler doesn’t see it that way, however, and argued the stoppage was merely the sum of a grueling fight.

“I felt like it was an accumulation,” Diaz told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC 266 post-fight news conference. “But I felt like I caught him with a little check hook and then a little left after that then when he went down a hit him with a little uppercut. Then when he went down he wanted him to come down with him and I was like, ‘Let’s continue the fun stuff.’

“He’s a warrior. He was standing right there in the pocket. I throw hard shots and he was taking them. It was a lot of damage. When you go back and watch the fight it was a war. A three-round war. I hit pretty hard and it just wasn’t his night.”

Lawler’s victory over Diaz marked a moment of redemption losing the first fight between them in April 2004. It was the first time Lawler was ever stopped with strikes, and more than 17 years later he got it back.

The former UFC welterweight champion said it doesn’t signify anything special for him, though. He was surprised when the matchup was presented to him, and ultimately it was a motivating fight to take on one of the biggest names in MMA history.

Lawler credited his Sanford MMA teammate and Bellator fighter Jason Jackson for getting him perfectly prepared for Diaz’s unique style. Now that he secured the victory and snapped his four-fight losing skid, “Ruthless” is ready to move on to his next victim.

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UFC 266 bonuses: Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega’s classic title fight among winners

Check out who took home bonuses after the incredible UFC 266 pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.

The UFC handed out post-fight bonuses to four fighters after Saturday’s pay-per-view event. Two fighters took home “Performance of the Night” bonuses while both competitors in the main event, Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, earned the “Fight of the Night” bonus for their instant classic title fight.

UFC 266 took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Check out the $50,000 winners below.

Twitter reacts to Alexander Volkanovski’s title defense vs. Brian Ortega in UFC 266 classic

See the top Twitter reactions to Alexander Volkanovski’s title defense against Brian Ortega in the UFC 266 main event.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] made his third defense of the featherweight title on Saturday against [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] in the UFC 266 main event.

Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) recorded his 20th consecutive career victory courtesy of a unanimous decision win over Ortega (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the pay-per-view headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Volkanovski’s title defense over Ortega at UFC 266.

UFC 266 results: Alexander Volkanovski survives submission scares, beats down Brian Ortega in all-out battle

The UFC 266 main event was an instant classic with Alexander Volkanovski defeating Brian Ortega via unanimous decision.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is still the UFC featherweight champion, but he went through a serious battle to successfully retain that title for the second time.

In the UFC 266 main event, Volkanovski (23-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) defeated [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-44).

The featherweight title bout took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The first round was closely contested. Both fighters needed some time to get their footings and rhythms but once they did the technical battle amplified in quality and quantity. Each man threw with bad intentions. Some heavy strikes missed and some landed. An Ortega jab sliced Volkanovski under his left eye, but he relied heavily on his leg kicks.

The chess match resumed in Round 2 with punches and leg kicks galore exchanged. Midway through the round, Volkanovski landed perhaps his biggest combination of the fight to that moment. He tried to transition to a takedown but Ortega denied him.

An exchange appeared to pop Volkanovksi’s ear, causing him to bleed even more. When the end-of-round horn sounded, the two fighters converged in a Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2-esque staredown before they were separated.

Drama struck in Round 3 when an Ortega punch connected on an off-balance Volkanovski, who fell backward. Ortega dove on top and grabbed hold of a mounted guillotine choke. Somehow, Volkanovski bucked and kicked his way out of danger. Both fighters scrambled, covered in blood. Volkanovski landed in guard, only to be met by an Ortega triangle attempt.

Volkanovski once again expertly avoided danger. On top again, Volkanovski rained down dozens of ground-and-pound punches on Ortega, who covered up. Referee Herb Dean gave warnings, but Ortega was saved by the bell.

Swollen and busted, Ortega was examined by the cageside physician, who determined Ortega was OK to continue. In Round 4, Ortega had another chance – a guillotine choke. However, Volkanovski escaped again and exploded into full-on ground-and-pound mode while Ortega threw up triangles.

The ground-and-pound kept coming, however, as did a series of warnings by Herb Dean. Somehow, someway Ortega survived to get to his feet before the end of the round.

Before the final round, Ortega once again passed the doctor’s test. Despite all of the damage absorbed, Ortega continued to put up a fight – and found success. He landed a series of punches on Volkanovski and marched forward. Volkanovski’s output wasn’t as extreme in Round 5, as the champion used his footwork to circle around the cage.

In the final seconds of the fight, Ortega landed perhaps his best shots of the fight – a pair of hard one-punch combinations that were acknowledged by Volkanovski. The siren sounded and the two fighters, who served as rival coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Season 29 embraced in a showing of respect in the center of the cage.

With the win, Volkanovski successfully defends his title for the second time and extends his winning streak to 19. His resume now includes Ortega’s name, among others such as Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, and more.

As for Ortega, the loss marks his second failed attempt in as many UFC title fights. The two title fights, which are also Ortega’s only career losses, bookend a lone victory against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in 2020.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 266 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Valentina Shevchenko’s TKO of Lauren Murphy to defend title at UFC 266

See the top Twitter reactions to Valentina Shevchenko’s title defense against Lauren Murphy in the UFC 266 co-main event.

Twitter reacts to Valentina Shevchenko’s title defense vs. Lauren Murphy at UFC 266

[autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] made the sixth defense of her women’s featherweight title on Saturday when she defeated [autotag]Lauren Murphy[/autotag] in the UFC 266 co-main event.

Shevchenko’s (22-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) continued to rule her weight class with an iron fist as she delivered another dominant performance that ended in a fourth-round TKO of Murphy (15-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) in the pay-per-view co-headliner at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Shevchenko’s title defense against Murphy at UFC 266.

Video: Watch UFC 266 post-event press conference live stream on MMA Junkie

Check out a live stream of the UFC 266 post-event press conference in Las Vegas.

UFC 266 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and you can watch a live video stream of the post-event news conference here on MMA Junkie at approximately 1:15 a.m. ET (10:15 p.m. PT).

Expected to take part in the press conference are UFC president Dana White, main event title fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, co-main event title fighters Valentina Shevchenko and Lauren Murphy, and the winner between Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler.

You can watch in the video above.