Volkanovski, Shevchenko defend titles
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 26, (AP): Alexander Volkanovski defended his featherweight title with a bloody, tumultuous unanimous decision over Brian Ortega, and Valentina Shevchenko defended her flyweight belt with a fourth-round stoppage of Lauren Murphy at UFC 266.
Nick Diaz also lost his first mixed martial arts fight in nearly seven years, declining to go on after Robbie Lawler knocked him down with punches early in the third round on an entertaining show at T-Mobile Arena.
Volkanovski (23-1) dominated the scorecards — 49-46, 50-45 and 50-44 — in his 20th consecutive victory, but the Australian still had to survive an extraordinary challenge from Ortega (15-2), who was relentless despite a bloodied face and a clearly damaged nose. Volkanovski survived a spectacular third round in which both fighters appeared to be moments from finishing the other.
“I thought I was in his head, and then he came back even stronger,” Volkanovski said. “Credit to him . ... It’s just preparation. I’m a normal human being. Hard work got me to where I am. Everyone can do what I’ve done.”
Volkanovski largely controlled the first two rounds with his usual impressive work rate and striking, but a bloodied Ortega knocked him down dramatically with a left hand in the third round.
Ortega pounced and nearly finished the champ with a guillotine choke, but Volkanovski willed his way out of it and got back on top — only for Ortega to escape and to trap Volkanovski in a triangle choke that the champ also barely escaped.
Ortega was allowed to continue after a visit from the ringside doctor despite his apparently broken nose. In the
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
fourth, Ortega got another takedown and nearly landed another choke, but Volkanovski gave a thumbs-up to the referee before escaping and finishing the round raining blows down on a prone Ortega, whose face was bloodied again.
Both fighters received multiple standing ovations after the final bell. Ortega was taken to a hospital after the fight.
Shevchenko (22-3) cemented her status as one of MMA’s most dominant champions with her eighth consecutive victory over the last four years, including six stoppages.
The champion from Kyrgyzstan steadily wore down Murphy (15-5) over the first three rounds before stunning Murphy with a right hook and then battering her across the cage and onto the canvas, where she finished with punches and elbows on the ground.
Shevchenko said she won’t set goals for consecutive victories or title defenses, instead only seeking to learn “how far I can go. To discover what is my limit as a human. What is my limit as a martial artist.”
The 38-year-old Murphy had won five straight bouts since July 2018 to earn the first UFC title shot of her late-blooming MMA career. Yet she was little more than a tough sparring match for Shevchenko, who hasn’t lost to anyone in the past 11 years except two-belt champion Amanda Nunes.