UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and top contender Brian Ortega have had their fair share of bad blood leading up to their UFC 266 main event, and things turn a more serious turn after Volkanovski brought up Ortega’s past PED use during their faceoff at the pre-fight press conference.
Volkanovski is set to make his second title defense as champion after defeating Max Holloway in back-to-back split decisions. Ortega got the title shot after defeating Chan Sung Jung (otherwise known as ‘The Korean Zombie’) in his last bout and will make his second title challenge after an earlier loss to Holloway.
Volkanovski has become increasingly annoyed with Ortega stemming from their back-and-forth as coaches on this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Unbeknownst to Volkanovski until recently, Ortega tested positive for drostanolone, a performance-enhancing drug following his win over Mike De La Torre in 2014. He would go on a long win streak en route to the title shot against Holloway.
Volkanovski brought it up during their heated faceoff at the end of the press conference.
Volkanovski poignantly pointed out that Ortega ‘doesn’t deserve to be here’ after finding out about his past transgressions when it comes to drug testing. Ortega hasn’t tested positive for any performance enhancers since the fight in 2014 but continues to carry a bad reputation for the incident.
Volkanovski has been on fire since transitioning from rugby to MMA in his native Australia. He put on dominant performances against former title challengers Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes en route to earning the belt over Holloway.
The two originally had a respectful relationship just days after the fight was originally planned for UFC 260, but that has appeared to have fizzled out over time. The featherweight title between Volkanovski and Ortega promises fireworks on a stacked card at UFC 266.
What is your reaction to the heated Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega press conference faceoff?