Alexander Volkanovski came very close to losing his featherweight title when he took on Brian Ortega at UFC 266 in 2021! In a recent episode of the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience), Rogan and Craig Jones, renowned BJJ expert and Volkanovski’s grappling coach, spoke about how “slick” ‘T-City’ is on the ground and the dangers he presents to his opponents with his elite grappling skills.

While Volkanovski did eventually win the decision at UFC 266 and retained his title, there were a few moments in the fight where it looked like the Australian was in deep trouble as Ortega appeared to have him locked into a few submissions. During their conversation, both Rogan and Jones expressed their admiration for the grappling skills of Ortega and even indicated their interest in seeing the two fighters clash outside of MMA rules!

Joe Rogan and Craig Jones want to see Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega in a ‘grappling only’ match

During their conversation, Rogan asked Jones about Alexander Volkanovski’s activities as he has been on a hiatus since losing his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. Jones stated, “I think he is in Thailand training at Bangtao, Volk’s wrestling coach, Frank, they have a gym in Thailand so he’s out in Bangtao getting some work in. I wanted him to get a grappling match. I said to him, ‘Man, like if we’re going to take some time away because of the concussions, let’s get you a grappling match.’”

For the opponent, Jones revealed that he wanted to see Brian Ortega face off against Volkanovski in a pure grappling match. This led to Rogan exclaiming, “Oh my god, that would be incredible!” Jones also brought up their fight from UFC 266 as he pointed out that while Ortega struggled to submit the Australian under MMA rules, things might have turned out differently if it was a grappling-rules-only bout.

Rogan then stated, “Ortega is very good on the ground, he’s very sneaky too” and Jones responded by replying, “Yeah, he’s super slick. He catches some crazy sh*t out there. He’d be losing a fight like 2-3 rounds, get one look at a guillotine and finish it, it’s crazy.”

The podcast host then praised Ortega for his “guillotine” which was one of the submissions he tried to finish Volkanovski with in their clash in 2021. Rogan stated, “…his guillotine is f**king death, I mean when Volkanovski got out of that mounted guillotine, his face looked like a grape and just would not tap, would not tap.”

This discussion not only highlighted the respect both men have for Volkanovski and Ortega’s skills but also teased the tantalizing prospect of a grappling match between the two, offering fans a unique and thrilling encounter outside the realm of MMA.

And with UFC 302 almost upon us, ‘The Great’ has also revealed his pick for the lightweight title clash between Dustin Poirier and the man who denied his ‘champ-champ’ aspirations, Islam Makhachev!

 Volkanovski breaks down UFC 302 LW title fight 

Alexander Volkanovski has made a bold prediction for the upcoming lightweight title clash between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier! Having faced the Dagestani champion twice, at UFC 284 and UFC 294, Volkanovski provided his unique insights in a recent video on his YouTube channel.

He stated, “Dustin Poirier is a great fighter. I just think it’s a hard fight for anybody and I don’t see anyone beating Islam for a while – unless they catch him, right?”

Volkanovski also analyzed the matchup between the two elite lightweight southpaws as he pointed out that Makhachev’s strategic approach and ability to adapt to different fighting styles allow him to avoid unnecessary risks while capitalizing on his opponent’s weaknesses. This cautious yet aggressive style makes it difficult for even experienced fighters like Poirier to find openings.

As such, ‘The Great’ predicted, “I think Islam is that good where it’s going to be a finish, I think it’s going to be a submission finish.”

Therefore, as UFC 302 approaches, Volkanovski’s analysis adds an extra layer of anticipation for the fight, highlighting the tactical battle expected between Makhachev and Poirier. Do you think Islam Makhachev will continue his reign of dominance atop the 155 lbs division? And what are your thoughts on the proposed grappling match between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega? Share them with us in the comments below!