Video: UFC 266 cold open features Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega beef, Valentina Shevchenko dominance, Nick Diaz return
Written by Luck Wilson on September 23, 2021
The UFC has released the cold open for Saturday’s stacked UFC 266 card.
Featured in the promotional video is the rivalry between featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, which only grew during their time as rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 29. Volkanovski seeks the second defense of his title after winning a pair of championship bouts against Max Holloway.
Also featured are flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko’s next test against top contender Lauren Murphy and the return of fan favorite Nick Diaz as he takes on former UFC champion Robbie Lawler.
Shevchenko goes for title defense No. 5 against Murphy, a winner of five straight fights.
Diaz fights for the first time since 2015. He meets Lawler in a middleweight bout on Saturday, a rematch of their UFC 47 matchup 17 years ago that Diaz won by knockout.
UFC 266 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Check out the full video above.
KVSP