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Brian Ortega's second featherweight title shot went slightly better than his first but it wasn't enough as Alexander Volkanovski overcame adversity to clinch a one-sided unanimous-decision victory at UFC 266 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Following his loss to Max Holloway, Ortega had an excellent chance to finally sit on the featherweight throne. Although he had Volkanovski on the ropes in the third round with two submission attempts, 'T-City' took a lot of damage after conceding a speed advantage in the striking department.
It's back to the drawing board for Ortega, who is still only 30 years old and has time to work his way back into title contention. Here are five possible next opponents for Brian Ortega after UFC 266.
#5 Brian Ortega vs Alexander Volkanovski 2
While the scorecards for UFC 266's main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega read 49-46, 50-45 and 50-44 for the champion, the fight was a lot closer than the numbers suggest. Volkanovski was the deserved winner in Las Vegas, but Ortega wasn't completely dominated.
The first two rounds were extremely tight, with Volkanovski doing just enough to edge them. He was caught on the backfoot a few times as Ortega used a sharp jab to keep him at distance and needed to rely on volume to clinch the rounds.
The third round saw Ortega crank two submissions that had Volkanovksi in trouble, but the Australian pushed through both of them to deal out severe damage to 'T-City'. The fifth and final round saw the California native catch a second wind despite painful bruising around both his eyes, and he arguably should've been given the round as he finished it on the offensive.
The winner of the upcoming featherweight bout between Yair Rodriguez and Max Holloway is expected to determine the next title challenger, but neither fighter could be deserving of a shot. While 'En Pantera' has been inactive for a long period of time, Holloway has lost to Volkanovski twice already.
Ortega might turn out to be the only viable candidate for Volkanovski's next title defense.
#4 Brian Ortega vs Josh Emmett
In seventh-ranked Josh Emmett, Brian Ortega could find the perfect rebound opponent as he attempts to evolve as a fighter and contend for the featherweight title once again.
Emmett isn't the most active fighter, having fought only four times since the start of 2018. The 36-year-old was last seen in action in June 2020, where he extended his UFC win streak to three with a unanimous-decision victory over Shane Burgos. He has won five of his last six fights and has lost only two UFC fights overall, so he deserves a step-up in competition.
Ortega could provide just that for Emmett. If Calvin Kattar and Arnold Allen are booked to fight each other, Emmett would be the highest-ranked featherweight 'T-City' hasn't beat yet. It might be a step too low for Ortega, but he did take a lot of damage against Volkanovski.
#3 Brian Ortega vs Arnold Allen
Considered one of the brightest talents in the UFC's featherweight division, Arnold Allen has won each of his eight fights in the promotion. His most recent octagon outing was a decision win over 'Super' Sodiq Yusuff in April.
Allen, who is 27 years old, has taken his time while moving up the featherweight rankings, focussing on developing as a fighter before challenging the top men in the division. He finally seems ready for a real test in the form of Ortega, who could take a significant step towards redeeming himself by beating 'Almighty'.
This seems like an exciting matchup between two well-rounded, technical fighters.
#2 Brian Ortega vs Calvin Kattar
Two men who have been thrashed by former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar could do battle as the division continues to take shape.
'The Boston Finisher' last competed in January, where he absorbed a ridiculous number of significant strikers during a comprehensive decision loss to Holloway. Incidentally, Ortega suffered the same fate in December 2018, after which he spent almost two years away before making a winning return against 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung.
With wins over Dan Ige, Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas, Kattar is one of the most talented boxers in the featherweight division right now. The winner of Ortega vs Kattar could soon push themselves into title contention, with other matchups like a Holloway rematch potentially on the cards as well.
#1 Brian Ortega vs the loser of Max Holloway/Yair Rodriguez
The most likely scenario in the featherweight division is seeing the winner of the rescheduled November fight between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez go on to challenge Volkanovski for the title, although both men have cases to be ignored for the same.
Ortega could face the loser of Holloway vs Rodriguez in a fight that would see him take on a serious challenge. Both Holloway and Rodriguez are not pushovers, but there's no doubt that 'T-City' is one of the best featherweights on the planet.
Ortega is a different fighter when compared to the man who lost to Holloway almost three years ago, and could keep fighting the very top contenders to take a shorter route to the strap.
