“Oh F*ck! I Am About to Lose the Belt” – Alexander Volkanovski Recalls Intense Moment During UFC 266

At UFC 266, fans got to witness one of the most memorable title fights in UFC history. The UFC featherweight title clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega was a roller coaster ride filled with exciting moments. The bout ended with ‘The Great’ earning a unanimous decision victory. However, it wasn’t a simple task, as ‘T-City’ wasn’t someone who would bite the dust that easily.

There were a couple of moments where Volkanovski was very close to losing the belt. Throughout the bout, Ortega came close to pulling off a submission victory, thanks to his BJJ prowess. On the other hand, Volkanovski used feints to throw off Ortega’s timing. ‘The Great’ busted up the challenger’s face before nearly slipping into the wrong side of a fight-ending submission in the third round.  

Volkanovski somehow escaped the guillotine choke and immediately unleashed a barrage of punches from the top position. Meanwhile, ‘T-City’ threw his legs up and caught the champion in another submission attempt, this time a triangle choke. However, the champion worked his way out and escaped, only to end up on top once again.

Alexander Volkanovski on Brian Ortega’s tight guillotine choke

In the post-fight press conference of UFC 266, the interviewer asked Volkanovski about Ortega’s submission attempts. ‘The Great’ revealed every detail of what was going through his mind while he was in a tight guillotine choke by Ortega.

Volkanovski said – “It was deep , it was, ‘oh f*ck! I am about to lose the belt deep;’ You know what I mean, like it was. But again, like the type of human being I am, you know. We talk about me, uh, you know, going through adversity, and you know, always being prepared and busting my a*s and never give up attitude and all that sh*t. That’s just exactly what you’ve seen…”

“I remember I was making f*cki*g weird noises, I remember, I was sitting, I was like, I don’t know what noise I made. But I remember he even said I was gurgling, but that was like a weird ‘Oh f*ck! I am about to lose this belt,’ like, you’re kidding. Then, I like, obviously kept fighting and just opened a little bit of space… And then he chucked me in the f*cki*g triangle as well.” – ‘The Great’ added.

Read More: ‘Clear Difference Between the Two Brothers’- Conor McGregor Ridicules Nate Diaz’s Boxing Skills

‘The Great’ on Ortega’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills

Ortega has elite jiu-jitsu skills, which he displayed throughout his fight against Volkanovski at UFC 266. Moreover, he is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Rorion Gracie and his sons, which he received at the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California.

Initially, Volkanovski thought that Ortega’s BJJ skills would not cause him trouble at UFC 266. However, he changed his thoughts after the fight, as ‘T-City proved him to be wrong. 

In the same interview, ‘The Great’ said – “He is known for his jiu-jitsu, you know. I thought that he wouldn’t get me that deep, but he did, credit to him.”

Ortega might not have gone home with the gold strap, but he sure earned a lot of respect from his rival and the entire MMA community. 

Watch This Story: Event Recap: Best Fights From UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega

What do you make of what ‘The Great’ had to say about Ortega’s tight guillotine choke? Do you think that Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega is the number one prospect for the ‘Fight of the Year’? Let us know in the comments.