While Volkanovski has beaten everybody who has stood across from him in the Octagon, he has had his detractors. However, many of them were surely silenced after his win over Brian Ortega at UFC 266.
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The third round of that bout was particularly dramatic, with commentator Jon Anik describing it as, “One of the best title rounds you’ll ever see.”
Volkanovski is inclined to agree.
“That’s the round everyone will be talking about for years to come. I was landing big shots and you could see it going downhill for Ortega, then he caught that kick, threw a jab and got me off balance. He jumped straight on it. Credit where credit is due, the way he snatched that up was incredible, and I didn’t expect him to put me in that submission straight away. It was deep.”
Did the champ think about tapping?
“No, either I go to sleep or his arms gas out. I don’t accept defeat – that’s just the mentality I have. I had to find a way. But the lights were dimming, and I was thinking. ‘Is this it?’ I could barely breathe, then I made space.”
