What was the significance of Brian Ortega's mask and walkout at UFC 266?

Brian Ortega, ahead of his featherweight title bout against Alexander Volkanovski, walked out to the octagon in an extremely unique and mildly terrifying style. Sporting masks from the anthology media franchise 'The Purge,' Ortega walked out in the most striking fashion.

The build-up to the fight saw things get pretty heated between Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski. It reached a point where Ortega declared that the title was the last thing on his mind and that he was 'coming for Volkanovski's head.'

Ortega's walkout fits his narrative perfectly as he looks to 'purge' Volkanovski and take his featherweight strap. Ortega will hope that his performance against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266 fits the narrative he set up going into the fight.

“No more words. Tomorrow, f*ck the belt, I’m coming for your head,” Brian Ortega told Jon Anik.

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Brian Ortega finds his way to the list of coolest walkouts

Brian Ortega's Purge-themed walkout certainly earned him a place alongside the likes of Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor. Adesanya wowed fans back in 2019 when he broke into dance during his walkout before facing Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

Accompanied by an entourage of three dancers, Israel Adesanya impressed fans. His routine was inspired by the extremely popular manga Naruto.

Conor McGregor set the tone for future walkouts by walking out to the octagon accompanied by singer Sinead O’Connor, who performed ‘Foggy Dew’ at UFC 189. That marked the first time a performing artist accompanied an athlete in the UFC.

A featherweight championship match between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega headlined this weekend's UFC 266. The card also boasted another championship fight between Valentina Shevchenko and Lauren Murphy. Also on the card was a five-round contest between Nick Diaz and Robbie Lawler.