Brian Ortega breaks down potential matchup with Alexander Volkanovski

By Tom Taylor - October 19, 2020

Brian Ortega has shared his initial thoughts on a potential fight with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Brian Ortega

Ortega made a triumphant return to the Octagon at UFC Fight Island 6 last weekend, picking up a decision win over “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung after almost two years away from the cage.

Ahead of this fight, the victor was expected to be granted a shot at the champion, Volkanovski.

Speaking on Twitter immediately after the fight, Volkanovski all but confirmed that himself.

On the UFC Fight Island 6 post-fight show Ortega broke down a potential scrap with Volkanovski, admitting that he believes that he actually has a lot in common with the champion.

“He’s great. He’s very similar almost,” Ortega said (via MMA Fighting). “I study him a lot. He’s very similar at picking you apart and going in there and being strategic and moving left, moving right and picking you apart. Putting pressure and getting some takedowns and letting you get back up. He’s a very interesting guy. He’s really good at playing a point system and winning rounds.

“I’d have to look at him again. I watched his fights with Max [Holloway]. It’s different. I feel like what he has to bring right off the bat, he’s kind of similar. On the takedowns, obviously I don’t really care too much about getting taken down. You can have them. It’s interesting. I would love a fight with him. It would be interesting.”

Ortega also shared some admiration for the champ on a personal level.

“He’s a cool dude. I like him,” Ortega said. “After that incident happened over there in Vegas right after the world hated me and some Korean pop singers don’t like me, he came up to me and he’s like ‘what’s up man, what happened with that and everything?’ He talked to me and it was cool.

“You get a lot of champs, they don’t even want to look in your direction or talk to you. They see you already as an enemy and I don’t want to see anyone as the enemy. We go there, we go there but he was cool. I like him.”

How do you think Brian Ortega matches up with Alexander Volkanovski?


Topics:

Alex Volkanovski Brian Ortega UFC