Watch: Brian Ortega pranks Alexander Volkanovski with snakes on The Ultimate Fighter

Brian Ortega took trolling to the next level at the expense of UFC featherweight champion and The Ultimate Fighter rival coach Alexander Volkanovski.

In a bid to pull off a classic TUF prank, Ortega enlisted the services of an exotic pet owner to bring over three massive snakes. 'T-City' placed the giant reptiles inside Team Volkanovski's locker with the intention of terrifying their head coach.

"I wanna scare the s*** out of Volkanovski," Ortega said. "I want him to come in here and freak out."

Once the champ walked in, though, the prankster didn't get the reaction he was hoping for. Staying true to his Australian roots, Alexander Volkanovski was more curious about the snakes than he was scared of them.

"I walk in and I see these big-looking snakes on the ground," Volkanovski revealed. "Looking at them, I thought they were fake, that's how big they were. And then I start seeing the thing start moving and I was like, 'Oh, s***! This is legit!'"

It didn't take long before Volkanovski overcame his hesitation and was carrying the largest snake on his shoulders. Although the prank didn't elicit the intended response, Ortega still burst out in laughter at the sight of Volkanovski hoisting the snake.

Watch Brian Ortega's snake prank on Alexander Volkanovski:

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When will Alexander Volkanovski fight Brian Ortega?

Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega are the coaches of the latest installment of the reality competition show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF 29). The pair of rivals will square off after the season's finale.

The 11th episode of the show recently aired on ESPN+ Tuesday night. Team Volkanovski and Team Ortega battled it out in the tournament's semi-finals after earning four wins apiece in the opening rounds.

A featherweight championship showdown between Volkanovski and Ortega has already been booked for the main event of UFC 266 on 25 September. The two were originally scheduled to fight in the co-main event of UFC 260, but the champion was forced to withdraw after contracting a severe case of COVID-19.