Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes became an unannounced welcome addition to the UFC 303 main card. The featherweight co-main event bout has plenty at stake despite coming to shape at the last moment. Lopes could leapfrog other contenders to the top five with a win. Not so fast, says Alexander Volkanovski as he thinks Brian ‘T-City’ Ortega’s consensus hard chin might just prevail in the stylistic scrap.
Lopes is on a hot back-to-back streak of first-round knockouts. After Pat Sabatini. he last starched Sodiq Yusuff with a first-round TKO in April’s historic PPV event. It set up the battle between the two best BJJ savants in the featherweight division. So it’s given that Diego Lopes will adopt some hard-hitting maneuvers to take him to the ground. Volk expects the shots to land but knows Ortega can hold out.
His [Lopes] striking is next level, but Ortega’s chin, you might wear him down, he might get hurt, I don’t know about shutting his lights off. I can’t see that happening… Going from experience, he’s got a granite chin.
Alexander Volkanovski via his Official YT Channel (@AlexVolkanovskiOfficial)
Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega rumbled hard in an all-out battle at UFC 266. During their 2021 title scrap, ‘T-CIty’ dropped the Aussie but fumbled a deep guillotine choke. ‘The Great’ recovered and battered him to a dominant win, but Ortega did push him to the brink and hold out long. Volkanovski lauds his prowess on the feet and thinks the 33-year-old can capitalize on that.
Other than that, his bursting out in sudden clinches and guillotines from a slumbering pace has caught many off guard. Speaking to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Ortega said he wants to move up from the stalemate of the 145-pound division. A loss against Lopes would stall his running momentum. Hence, as such, he’d be willing to give it his all – striking and hard chin included.
Alexander Volkanovski veers to Brian Ortega for an upset win at UFC 303
Brian Ortega will make his fastest turnaround in over six years. This would be his second “second” fight bill on the same calendar. He looks to keep the momentum going from his submission win over Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City. Moreover, he might have something to prove after emerging as a betting underdog against Diego Lopes.
Alexander Volkanovski makes his pick for UFC 303’s co-main (Source: X/heavy.com/sportsnet.ca)It is not every day that a fighter with a year’s experience in the UFC opens up as a betting favorite against a two-time title challenger. The bout has a potential ‘Fight of the Night’ written all over it. Even former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski sees the UFC 303 co-mains as a complete banger, but he has picked a clear winner.
Who am I picking? This is going to be the first time I might be going against Lopes. Ortega’s durability. It is a three-rounder. Does he do enough damage in the first two rounds to get a decision? ..Stylistically in this situation might favor him a little bit more, but I’m going to go Ortega.
Alexander Volkanovski via his Official YT Channel (@AlexVolkanovskiOfficial)
Brian ‘T-City’ Ortega often comes out on top with his durability, as seen from the Yair Rodriguez bout. He got outstruck in the first round but came back with suffocating grappling in the second. Similarly, Volkanovski can see Ortega dropping the first round but returning to win the rest and earn a decision win. Whatever happens, the co-main event bout might potentially steal the show at UFC 303.
