UFC 260: Ortega - Volkanovski Predictions, Odds and Fight Statistics

The fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega will be held on March 27th at UFC 260. The bout for the featherweight title will take place in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex Arena.

UFC 260 will feature two main event fights, including Volkanovski defending his title. 

In this article, we will discuss the current odds on the March fight, which will be the co-main event, along with the matchup between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannu.

Volkanovski vs. Ortega Odds 

International sportsbooks are immediately in doubt that Brian Ortega will stop a fighter like Volkanovski. The odds for an Ortega victory currently sit at around -182. On the other hand, for the favorite, Volkanovski’s odds are now at +160. 

Alexander Volkanovski

-196

Brian Ortega

+165

You also likely won't be able to bet on a draw this time. Title fights almost never include this option. Most often, if the fight is tied, the reigning champion retains the belt.

Statistics and physical data

Alexander Volkanovski 

• Former Roshambo MMA, Cage Conquest, AFC, PXC Welterweight Champion. Former Wollongong Wars Lightweight Champion. Reigning UFC Featherweight Champion.

• 23 fights, 22 wins, 1 defeat.

Alexander Volkanovski

Odds

-196

Until December 2018, few people were seriously interested in the name of the Australian fighter. By that time, Alex already had five victorious UFC tournaments behind him, but the names of his rivals rarely made a buzz in the media.

The fight with the fading and doping scandals Chad Mendes became a good memory of the UFC 232 tournament. However, even then few could have imagined that Volkanovski would fight for the belt with Max Holloway in only a year. 

Since then, the new champion has gone on a phenomenal streak of nine straight wins in the UFC and 19 straight wins in his entire career. Now, after a brutal double cut with former champion Holloway, Dana White has decided to give another star in the division a chance. 

UFC predictions on Volkanovski 

In terms of fighting build, Ortega is a bit like the long-armed and thin Holloway, however, unlike the Hawaiian, Brian prefers to work as a number two throughout the fight. 

Volkanovski is not going to sit back and will instead try to close the distance with Ortega as quickly as possible, forcing him to retreat to the net. His main trump cards are powerful blows and mobility. This is a clear advantage when fighting the slow and fluid Ortega. 

It is unlikely that Alex will try to earn an early knockout. He has already proven that he is able to conduct prolonged battles and maintain strength and stamina at a distance. His task is to work on side slopes and constant offsets. 

Volkanovski's chances of winning 

Alex is at the peak of his form, and it is not yet clear who can throw him off the podium.

With all due respect to Ortega's resilience, the chances are high that Volkanovski's accuracy and punching power will seriously slow the American down and force him to go into tough exchanges in the third round. It is possible that this will be his only chance to snatch points. 

Volkanovski is straightforward, but his style has been honed to perfection, and so far no fighter in the UFC has been able to exploit any of his weaknesses. In addition, if the fight lasts all 25 minutes, the chances are high that the judges will again give the victory to the champion.

The Croatian's Last Five Fights 

During Alex’s last fights, only the bout against Chad Mendes ended prematurely. In the other four fights, Volkanovski simply outperformed his opponents and did not give them a chance to get around him on points.

He has already defeated Max Holloway twice and is already looking ahead to meeting him for the third time. In addition, Alex defeated the legendary José Aldo by unanimous decision.

There can be no longer any questions about whether the champion is worthy of his title.

Brian Ortega 

• Former champion of Respect in the Cage and Resurrection Fighting Alliance.

• 17 battles, 15 victories, 1 defeat, 1 no contest. 

Brian Ortega

Odds

+165

The debut of the Mexican-American in the UFC is still the saddest page in his career. At first, the whole audience screamed after his amazing victory over Mike De La Torre ... However, after a few days the fans learned that Brian had failed his doping test and the result of the fight would be voided.

Ortega then received a nine-month suspension. Unlike most fighters who attribute positive tests to processed poultry or unknown vitamins, he honestly stated that he was taking steroids.

As a result, the opinion of the MMA public was divided. There are still those who remember Brian's scandalous 2014. Others believe that the effect of steroids was negligible and that they never gave him any real advantages.

Since then, he has already appeared in eight fights, in which he lost only to the ubiquitous Holloway. Now, Ortega has received the title chance of a lifetime against Volkanovski.

What to expect from Ortega in the fight with Volkanovski

Brian's past mistakes in the fight with Holloway forced him to be much more circumspect in the fight with the Korean zombie, thanks to which he successfully broke the distance and began to jab more often. 

Nevertheless, his imposing fighting style remains his main problem before the start of the future UFC 260. Brian needs to follow the example of the former champion and put pressure on Volkanovski.

However, it is important here not to get too close to Alex’s territory: there is a high risk of running into a couple of quick sideways blows in response. Ortega will likely try to change his style of fighting, and it is possible that much more action awaits us. 

UFC Predictions on Ortega's chances of winning 

Brian is a black belt winner and first dan in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the legendary Rener Gracie. At the same time, in the last two fights, he decided to completely rebuild under the impact and did not even try to redirect him to the ground.

The problem is, Volkanovski is the worst opponent for practicing the basics of Gracie Academy. Alex is a stocky, dry and incredibly strong fighter who feels his body perfectly and will not allow himself to be strangled on the ground or taken to submission. Differences in stamina can make Ortega more likely to tire himself.

He can only rely on his punch and expect that a few accurate jabs, backfists and highs will slow down Volkanovski and force him to climb into the ground and make a few mistakes. 

However, Ortega's chances can be assessed as only 40 to 60 percent. This time, the sportsbooks seem to have hit the odds perfectly, having considered all possible options for the outcome of the fight.

Ortega's Last Five Fights

Of Brian’s last five fights, three have ended ahead of schedule. On account of his victory by knockout over Frankie Edgar, choke on Cub Swanson and another guillotine for Renato Moicano. Unfortunately, the fight with Holloway was stopped by a doctor, though even then Ortega withstood a colossal number of punches that most UFC fighters have never dreamed of. 

Defeating the South Korean Jung remains central to the American's career. Now he has new motivation and a title chance, on which his entire future in the UFC will depend.