Getty Conor McGregor poses during a ceremonial weigh in for UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena on July 09, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski put on a show during the main event of UFC 266 on Saturday, September 25, 2021, battling No. 2-ranked Brian Ortega for five rounds.
In what was one of the best 145-pound title clashes in UFC history, Volkanovski used grit, technique and his world-class fight IQ to get the job done, earning a unanimous decision over “T-City.”
With the victory, Vokanovski extended his win streak to 20. He has successfully defended his UFC gold twice.
During Volkanovski’s fight with Ortega, ex lightweight and featherweight UFC champ Conor McGregor gave his take on the king of his former division, claiming he’d kick “the head off” Volkanovski.
“I’d kick this volovski head off like it was a rugby ball I was kicking. 5’4! And full of muscle! Hahahahaha little fart he is. Not even a little fart. A shart haahahahaj jacka**.”
After Volkanovski was declared the winner, McGregor tweeted: “Not a bad fight. Congrats shartsy.”
Not a bad fight. Congrats shartsy
“Notorious” is currently on the shelf after sustaining a leg break during his UFC 264 clash with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
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Volkanovski Is Undefeated as a UFC Fighter
GettyUFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski poses with his UFC belt on July 28, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.
Volkanovski proved on Saturday night that he’s one of the best pound-for-pound athletes on the roster, sweeping the judges’ scorecards at UFC 266.
T-City had his moments during the fight as well, including firing off multiple submission attempts that would have likely finished lesser fighters than Volkanovski. It truly was a blood-and-guts contest and ultimately the Australian came out on top.
With the win, Volkanovski improved his professional MMA record to 23-1. He is currently riding a 20-fight victory streak which includes 10 in a row in the UFC.
He holds wins over several notable names in the division, including former 145-pound champions Max Holloway (twice) and Jose Aldo.
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McGregor Held the UFC Featherweight Title Years Before Volkanovski Earned It
As mentioned earlier, Notorious used to sit on the featherweight throne. Nearly six years ago, McGregor capped off his run in the UFC’s featherweight division by knocking out longtime champion Jose Aldo in only 13 seconds, winning the 145-pound belt in December 2015 at UFC 194.
With seven wins in the division, as well as a gold belt, McGregor moved up weight divisions on 2016 and hasn’t been back since. He was ultimately stripped of the featherweight championship due to inactivity.
McGregor has split his time at welterweight and lightweight since leaving 145 pounds, fighting Nate Diaz (twice) and Donald Cerrone at 170 pounds and Dustin Poirier (twice), Khabib Nurmagomedov and Eddie Alvarez at 155 pounds.
Notorious was able to capture lightweight gold by defeating Alvarez in 2016, becoming the first-ever champion to simultaneously hold two belts in the UFC at the same time. McGregor was also stripped of the 155-pound title because of inactivity.
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