UFC 266 will feature two title fights and the long-awaited return of a fan favorite when the event heads to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Alexander Volkanovski will defend his UFC featherweight championship against Brian Ortega in the main event. Ortega and Volkanovski were linked for the past year but the champion was forced to postpone the fight due to testing positive for COVID. The two coached opposite of each other on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter where their rivalry grew even more intense. The two will settle their differences inside of the Octagon.
Volkanovski has yet to taste defeat in the Octagon and is a perfect 9-0 with 3 finishes. He's coming off of a pair of close victories over Max Holloway.
Ortega is 8-1 with 1 No Contest and has finished six of his opponents inside of the distance. He's coming off of arguably the best performance of his career when he defeated Chan Sung Jung by unanimous decision last October.
The co-main event finds Lauren Murphy aiming to end the dominant championship run of women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Murphy earned her spot by defeating Joanne Calderwood in June to cap a five-fight winning streak. But she'll have to find a way to stop Shevchenko, who has run roughshod over the flyweight division over the past three years with very little resistance.
The card also features the return of Nick Diaz, who hasn't fought since January 2015 when he meets old rival Robbie Lawler in a rematch of their UFC 47 bout in 2004 where Diaz stopped his opponent in the second round.
Below is a full rundown of the schedule for UFC 266, with details on the fight matchups, start times, odds and more for the featherweight title fight between Volkanovski and Ortega.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 266 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
When is UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega?
- Date: Saturday, September 25
- Start time: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
- Main card (PPV): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET / 9:15 p.m. PT (approximate)
UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega takes place on September 25 with the early prelims kicking the event off at 6 p.m. ET, before the pay-per-view main card begins at 10 p.m. ET. Volkanovski and Ortega should enter the Octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on the length of the undercard bouts.
How to watch UFC 266: Volkanovski vs. Ortega
- TV channels/live stream: ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
The main card for UFC 266 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at 10 p.m.
Earlier fights, however, are viewable live on ESPN, the WatchESPN app and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Volkanovski vs. Ortega price: How much does UFC 266 cost?
- $69.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $89.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 266 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 266 is $69.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $89.98 for the UFC 266 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers a savings of over 30 percent.
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Where is UFC 266?
UFC 266 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in front of a live crowd.
Volkanovski vs. Ortega odds for UFC 266
- Alexander Volkanovski: -176
- Brian Ortega: +142
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Alexander Volkanovski is a -176 favorite, meaning it would take a wager of $176 to earn a $100 profit should Volkanovski successfully defend his title. Ortega is a +142 underdog and a $100 bet on Ortega would see a $142 profit if he takes the title from Volkanovski.
Alexander Volkanovski record, bio
- Name: Alexander Volkanovski
- Nationality: Australian
- Born: September 29, 1988
- Height: 5-6
- Reach: 71 inches
- Total fights: 23
- Record: 22-1
Brian Ortega record, bio
- Name: Brian Ortega
- Nationality: Mexican-American
- Born: February 21, 1991
- Height: 5-9
- Reach: 69 inches
- Total fights: 17
- Record: 15-1 (1 No Contest)
UFC 266 fight card
Main Card
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega for Volkanovski's UFC Featherweight championship
- Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy for Shevchenko's UFC Women's Flyweight championship
- Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler; Middleweights
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik; Heavyweights
- Jéssica Andrade vs. Cynthia Calvilloy; Women's Flyweights
Preliminary card
- Marlon Moraes vs. Merab Dvalishvili; Bantamweights
- Dan Hooker vs. Nasrat Haqparast; Lightweights
- Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Chris Daukaus; Heavyweights
- Roxanne Modafferi vs. Taila Santos; Women's Flyweights
Fight Pass Prelims
- Uros Medić vs. Jalin Turner; Lightweights
- Cody Brundage vs. Nick Maximov; Middleweights
- Matthew Semelsberger vs. Martin Sano Jr.; Welterweights
- Jonathan Pearce vs. Omar Morales; Featherweights
