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This weekend sees one of the biggest UFC events of 2021 go down, as UFC 266 features two title fights as well as the return of superstar Nick Diaz.
There are a number of huge fights on the UFC 266 card. Understandably, the event features a number of fighters with major points to prove.
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Some of these fighters are looking to prove they still belong in title contention. Others want to show that they deserve more respect or are still relevant in the UFC. Either way, it’s almost a guarantee that they’ll fight tooth and nail to ensure that they get their point across this weekend.
Here are five fighters with a major point to prove at UFC 266.
#5. Curtis Blaydes – UFC heavyweight contender
At the start of 2021, Curtis Blaydes was flying as high as any fighter in the UFC. The heavyweight contender was riding a four-fight win streak and looked set to push himself into title contention at some point in the year.
However, ‘Razor’ then fell to Derrick Lewis via knockout in their main event clash in February. While ‘The Black Beast’ went onto an unsuccessful challenge for the interim UFC heavyweight title, Blaydes has been left to lick his wounds on the shelf.
Not only did the loss knock him out of title contention for the time being, but given his wrestling-heavy style, it’s likely that he’ll have to work harder than most to ever get back into that position.
Blaydes has his chance to start anew at UFC 266, though, as he takes on fellow high-ranked heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
‘Bigi Boy’ is coming off a big TKO win over Augusto Sakai in June. He’s a highly dangerous striker who has only ever lost to Gane and Francis Ngannou in the octagon, and he holds wins over fighters like Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos.
However, stylistically speaking, Blaydes should be a bad match for him. His takedowns are probably the best in the UFC heavyweight division, and Rozenstruik has shown a propensity for struggling against that kind of gameplan in the past. But if ‘Razor’ makes a wrong move, it’s definitely possible that he could find himself knocked out again.
Blaydes therefore will need to be careful, but not too careful. He’s got a major point to prove here and will not only want to show that he can win, but that he can win in brutal fashion too. Simply put, anything else will not be good enough.
#4. Marlon Moraes – UFC bantamweight contender
Few fighters on the UFC roster have seen as dramatic a fall down the rankings as bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes.
‘Magic’ was once the most feared 135lber on the UFC roster, as he destroyed the likes of Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera with his brutal strikes. But after falling to Henry Cejudo in a UFC bantamweight title fight in 2019, he’s struggled greatly.
He picked up a controversial win over Jose Aldo to end that year. But since then he’s suffered two bad knockout losses at the hands of Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font.
At the age of 33, there’s every chance that the Brazilian could be a shot fighter, which is something that those knockout losses definitely suggested. With that in mind, UFC 266 could be the last chance saloon for him.
Moraes is fighting a beatable opponent in the form of Merab Dvalishvili, who is more of a grappler than a striker, but it definitely won’t be easy for ‘Magic’. ‘The Machine’ is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC bantamweight division and will almost certainly test Moraes’ takedown defense.
So Moraes needs to get back to his best to prove that he still belongs in the UFC this weekend. If he can’t do that, it could be curtains for his career with the promotion.
#3. Lauren Murphy – UFC flyweight title challenger
The biggest underdog on the card at UFC 266 is definitely Lauren Murphy. ‘Lucky’ is set to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC flyweight title, and literally nobody expects her to beat one of the most dominant fighters in the promotion’s history.
However, even if she can’t beat Shevchenko, Murphy will be gunning to prove that she at least belongs in the octagon with ‘The Bullet’. Unfortunately, plenty of doubters have already suggested that isn’t the case.
Murphy got her title shot by defeating five opponents in a row. But she was only able to finish two of them – one was a late replacement – and two of those wins came via split decision.
Therefore, there have been some suggestions that she’s simply filling a role as the “challenger of the month” for a champion who has largely cleaned out her weight class.
How can Murphy prove those doubters wrong? Perhaps she isn’t capable of beating Shevchenko. But if she can at least go the distance with ‘The Bullet’ and maybe even win a round, she’d definitely be able to leave with her pride intact.
Even that won’t be easy, but ‘Lucky’ definitely has a point to prove and will be hoping to do just that at UFC 266.
#2. Nick Diaz – Former UFC title challenger
Despite UFC 266 featuring two title fights, the biggest spotlight of the weekend will probably fall upon returning superstar Nick Diaz.
Diaz – who faces old foe Robbie Lawler in a long-awaited rematch that has been shifted to middleweight – has not fought in the UFC since January 2015. While his notoriety and popularity have both remained intact during his absence, it’s hard to tell how much he actually has to offer these days.
After all, the native of Stockton, California is now 38 years old. And while he’s been absent for long stretches, he’s still been fighting in MMA at a high level since 2001.
Diaz therefore needs to prove that he still belongs in the UFC, and to do that, he’ll have to beat Lawler impressively. ‘Ruthless’ has hardly been on a great run in his own right, as he’s on a losing streak in what looks like the final stretch of his career.
If Diaz struggles against Lawler, it’ll suggest that he simply doesn’t belong among the upper echelons of the UFC any more. If he can win impressively though, the UFC could easily push him right back into title contention.
Naturally, title contention is the only goal that Diaz has in mind, leaving him with a major point to prove this weekend.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski – UFC featherweight champion
On the face of it, current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski should have nothing to prove at all this weekend. He’s already ranked by the UFC as the #4 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he holds victories over Max Holloway, Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes.
Despite this, though, and despite his impressive 22-1 record, it feels like ‘Alexander the Great’ doesn’t get the respect he deserves from a lot of UFC fans. Quite why this is remains baffling, as he’s never performed at anything but a phenomenal level when he’s stepped into the octagon.
In fact, it’s arguable that Holloway was the first opponent to really test him. Even then – in their first fight in particular – it was clear that Volkanovski was the better man.
Therefore, ‘Alexander the Great’ will want to prove that he really is the greatest featherweight on the planet, bar none, by defending his UFC title in impressive fashion against Brian Ortega this weekend.
Ortega is an excellent fighter in his own right, with his only career loss coming at the hands of Holloway. It’s also arguable that he’s a better finisher than Volkanovski.
But the Australian should be favored over ‘T-City’ this weekend. If he can beat Ortega down, then nobody will be in a position to question him again.
