Saturday night was all about UFC 266. Nate Diaz’s return to the octagon was a highly anticipated affair. But another fight was the talk of the town last night – a featherweight bout between Brian Ortega and Alex Volkanovski.
Both fighters put on a strong display, with even famed athlete Connor McGregor giving a shootout to both MMA artists following the fight. Ultimately, Volkanovski was adjudged the winner bagging 49-46, 50-45, and 50-44 scores.
Pic 1: Brian Ortega after the Max Holloway fight.
Pic 2: Brian Ortega after the Alexander Volkanovski fight.
😳 (via Getty) #UFC266 pic.twitter.com/ntzdkTYRZO
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) September 26, 2021
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But it was Ortega who won the hearts of fans, at home and in the stadium. One of them was Houston Texans running back Mark Ingram II.
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Mark Ingram gives a shoutout to Brian Ortega despite UFC 266 loss
You a real one!!! RESPECT!!@BrianTcity #UFC266
— Mark Ingram II (@markingramII) September 26, 2021
Veteran NFL star Mark Ingram II was watching the Ortega vs Volkanovski bout just like us on Saturday night. He came to see Nate’s rematch but stayed for Ortega who showed great heart going toe-to-toe with Alex for five rounds. Ingram took to Twitter to express solitude with the fallen Ortega.
There were times where Volkanovski thought his opponent was down and out. But Ortega kept bouncing back.
All he does is win 🏆 #UFC266 pic.twitter.com/gsptGjPQLc
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 26, 2021
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In conclusion, Saturday night’s UFC #266 event was a delightful affair for MMA enthusiasts the world over. But it also helped build the hype around the organization which is always looking out for good publicity.
On another note, Ingram and Texans suffered their first loss of the season in Week 3. They succumbed to a humbling 24-9 loss to the high-flying Carolina Panthers. Next up for Houston, is a tough fixture against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
They are still without star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Rookie Davis Mills will continue as starter heading into Week 4 of the season.
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Regardless, both teams will be gunning for a win as we approach the midway stage of the ongoing NFL season. You never know, the Texans might spring a surprise and throw Watson in after a couple of weeks. Stranger things have gone down in the NFl, so you never know.
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