UFC 266 LIVE: Volkanovski vs Ortega stream, latest updates and how to watch online
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski headlines UFC 266
UFC 266 sees three major bouts take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight, including two title fights and the return of an MMA icon.
In the main event, Alexander Volkanovski makes the second defence of his welterweight belt, taking on Brian Ortega after the pair’s slow-burn rivalry heated up significantly at this week’s press conference. Australian Volkanovski (22-1) and American Ortega (15-1) were opposing coaches on the most recent season of the Ultimate Fighter TV show, and their respective styles should make for an intriguing match-up. Volkanovski is a well-rounded athlete with an answer for most foes, while Ortega is a jiu-jitsu specialist who has significantly enhanced his striking skills in recent years.
In the co-main event, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (21-3) faces challenger Lauren Murphy (15-4), with most followers of the sport hoping that Murphy can at least offer the Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian a rare tough test. Fans will also witness the highly-anticipated return of Nick Diaz, older brother of Nate, as he fights for the first time in six years. Diaz (26-9) takes on former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (28-15) in a rematch of their 2004 bout, with this five-round contest having been changed to a middleweight fight this week.
Follow live updates from UFC 266 below.
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UFC 266: Santos def. Modafferi
Taila Santos def. Roxanne Modafferi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC 266: Modafferi vs Santos
Santos briefly attempts a rear naked choke, but Modafferi is able to twist to safety.
Santos in fact decides to let the ‘Happy Warrior’ back to her feet, which isn’t necessarily a bad idea, given how the bout has gone thus far.
That said, Modafferi isn’t done yet and uses a clinch to push Santos back to the fence.
Santos with yet another takedown late in the fight, though, after finding space in the Octagon. She ends the contest on top.
We’ll go to the judges’ scorecards.
UFC 266: Modafferi vs Santos
Modafferi tells her corner between rounds that she can’t her them during the action – one of the downsides to fans being back.
Modafferi, however, gets those fans going with some sneaky strikes early in the third and final round, but Santos is bringing greater power and knocks down her opponent against the fence!
Slicing elbows from above by Santos…
UFC 266: Modafferi vs Santos
A role reversal in this second round: Modafferi catches a body kick and forces Santos to the fence, before dragging her down.
Santos recovers well, however, to reverse the position and take Modafferi’s back.
Strikes cut open Modafferi, too – she appears to be her bleeding from her forehead.
Santos ends the round on top.
UFC 266: Modafferi vs Santos
Modafferi is driven to the fence and taken down early on.
She briefly threatens some submissions on the mat, before building off that threat to find a way back to her feet – much to the delight of the Las Vegas crowd.
Santos soon takes Modafferi down again, but once more the ‘Happy Warrior’ rises!
First round to Santos, but an unsurprising amount of heart on display from Modafferi.
UFC 266: Modafferi vs Santos
Fan favourite Roxanne Modafferi takes on Taila Santos in a women’s flyweight bout to get the prelims under way!
Here we go.
UFC 266: Main card and prelims
The early prelims are under way as we speak. We’ll be bringing you live updates from the prelims shortly. Here’s a look at tonight’s card:
Full card
Main card
Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Brian Ortega (featherweight title)
Valentina Shevchenko (C) vs Lauren Murphy (women’s flyweight title)
Nick Diaz vs Robbie Lawler (middleweight)
Curtis Blaydes vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
Jessica Andrade vs Cynthia Calvillo (women’s flyweight)
Prelims
Marlon Moraes vs Merab Dvalishvili (bantamweight)
Dan Hooker vs Nasrat Haqparast (lightweight)
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Chris Daukaus (heavyweight)
Roxanne Modafferi vs Taila Santos (women’s flyweight)
Early prelims
Uros Medic vs Jalin Turner (lightweight)
Cody Brundage vs Nick Maximov (middleweight)
Matthew Semelsberger def. Martin Sano via first-round KO (punch, 0:15)
Jonathan Pearce def. Omar Morales via second-round submission (rear naked choke, 3:31)
UFC 266: Jon Jones arrested on domestic violence charge
UFC star Jon Jones was allegedly arrested in Las Vegas on a misdemeanour domestic violence charge on Friday, Clark County Detention Center inmate records showed.
The former light heavyweight champion, 34, is said to have been charged with misdemeanour battery domestic violence and injuring or tampering with a vehicle.
The arrest allegedly took place on Friday morning, just hours after Jones’ 2013 fight against Alexander Gustafsson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
Full story here:
UFC star Jon Jones arrested on alleged domestic violence charge
The arrest allegedly took place just hours after one of the American’s fights was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame
UFC 266: Why we should be worried about Nick Diaz’s return
“It is hard not to be drawn in to the anticipation flooding through the MMA fanbase as they prepare to watch Nick Diaz fight for the first time in six years. It is hard not to understand the excitement in seeing the American, arguably the UFC’s greatest ever cult personality, taking on Robbie Lawler in a rematch 17 years in the making.
“But boxing’s recent descent into carnivalesque contests, with older competitors chasing yesterday – yesteryear, even – has taught us that a bout such as Diaz vs Lawler II is more likely to end in blood, sweat and the wrong kind of tears than in candidacy for fight of the year.”
Full fight preview here:
Why we should be worried about Nick Diaz’s UFC return
There is cause for concern as the older Diaz brother returns after a six-year absence, for a rematch 17 years in the making
UFC 266
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UFC 266!
UFC 266 sees three major bouts take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight, including two title fights and the return of an MMA icon.
In the main event, Alexander Volkanovski makes the second defence of his welterweight belt, taking on Brian Ortega after the pair’s slow-burn rivalry heated up significantly at this week’s press conference. Australian Volkanovski (22-1) and American Ortega (15-1) were opposing coaches on the most recent season of the Ultimate Fighter TV show, and their respective styles should make for an intriguing match-up. Volkanovski is a well-rounded athlete with an answer for most foes, while Ortega is a jiu-jitsu specialist who has significantly enhanced his striking skills in recent years.
In the co-main event, women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (21-3) faces challenger Lauren Murphy (15-4), with most followers of the sport hoping that Murphy can at least offer the Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian a rare tough test.
Fans will also witness the highly-anticipated return of Nick Diaz, older brother of Nate, as he fights for the first time in six years. Diaz (26-9) takes on former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (28-15) in a rematch of their 2004 bout, with this five-round contest having been changed to a middleweight fight this week.
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