5 biggest winners from UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega

#2. Robbie Lawler – defeated Nick Diaz in a UFC middleweight bout

Robbie Lawler pulled off a huge win against Nick Diaz in their rematch last night

If any fighter looked like they were reaching the end of their UFC career prior to last night’s event, it was probably Robbie Lawler. The former UFC welterweight champion had not won a fight in the octagon since 2017, and had looked like a shadow of his former self in his most recent outings.

However, faced with the returning Nick Diaz in a high-pressure situation – and in a middleweight bout to boot – Lawler pulled out a great performance to pick up what could be a career-saving win.

Unlike his fights with Colby Covington and Neil Magny, ‘Ruthless’ looked anything but gun-shy in this fight, taking it to Diaz early on with his strikes. Despite Diaz’s attempts to fire back, he was always second-best, as Lawler showed exactly what he’d learned since their meeting in 2004 that saw him knocked out.

He was patient, picked his shots, and basically took Diaz apart en route to a third-round TKO win.

Will this be the beginning of a renaissance for Lawler? It’s unlikely. Diaz looked incredibly rusty and he was still able to land his fair share of shots. However, based on this evidence, ‘Ruthless’ isn’t done quite yet.

In fact, if he’s willing to take a step down the ladder, he could have more UFC victories in him – making him one of UFC 266’s biggest winners.

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#1. Alexander Volkanovski – defeated Brian Ortega to retain the UFC featherweight title

Alexander Volkanovski should earn far more respect from UFC fans after his win last night

The biggest winner at UFC 266 by a mile was Alexander Volkanovski. Not only did he retain his UFC featherweight title in his first headline bout to date, but he put on a classic show that will probably be talked about for years to come.

‘The Great’ outworked Brian Ortega on the feet from the start of the first round to the very end of the fifth round last night. He wasn’t quite able to finish him off, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying as, incredibly, he was able to land a total of 214 significant strikes on ‘T-City’.

This wasn’t just about Volkanovski’s striking, though. The Australian also showed a ludicrous amount of heart, as he found himself trapped in Ortega’s best submissions in the third round – the guillotine choke and the triangle choke – and somehow escaped when most other fighters would’ve tapped out.

Overall, this was the kind of fight that should make a star out of Volkanovski. He’s got everything it takes to rule over this division for years to come. This win ought to net him the respect he deserved but wasn’t really getting beforehand.

On a big night for many fighters, none came away with more plus points than the UFC featherweight champion.