UFC 266 on September 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada features two title fights and the return of the fan-favorite icon Nick Diaz. Each fight on the card brings the potential for massive success and failure for its combatants. Here are the competitors with the most to gain and to lose inside the T-Mobile Arena.
Most to gain at UFC 266
Nick Diaz
Perhaps no fighter on the main card has more to gain than Stockton, California’s Nick Diaz. One of the most fan-friendly fighters in history and a cult hero among MMA fans, Diaz has not fought in a professional fight since 2015 and hasn’t logged a win since 2011. At UFC 266, Diaz makes his anticipated return in a rematch against former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who is winless in his last four outings as well.
If Diaz — the older brother of Nate Diaz — is able to return to form against Lawler, he stands to regain his status as one of the sport’s bigger draws. By notching his first win in years at UFC 266, Diaz could introduce himself to newer fans and reassert his claim as a money fight in the star-studded welterweight division.
Alexander Volkanovski
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski still has fans to win over after consecutive close decision victories over fan-favorite former champion Max Holloway. Despite winning and defending the title against the Hawaiian, there are still those who believe the Australian remains second-best in the division.
With a win over fellow The Ultimate Fighter coach and new rival Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC 266, Volkanovski could go a long way toward silencing his doubters. Ortega looked sensational against perennial contender Chan Sung Jung in his latest outing, and a win over him would be Volkanovski’s second title defense and twentieth straight win.
The main event of UFC 266 is one MMA fans are eagerly awaiting, as the fight has been rescheduled after Volkanovski’s bout with COVID-19 and the taping of the long-running reality TV show.
Jessica Andrade or Cynthia Calvillo
The highest-placed non-title fight on UFC 266, is a women’s flyweight matchup between former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade and Cynthia Calvillo. The booking poses a massive opportunity for the winner to secure a title shot against UFC flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Andrade, the first-ranked flyweight in the UFC, suffered a stoppage loss at the hands of Shevchenko in her last outing, which followed her first-round technical knockout of Katlyn Chookagian in October 2020. She will look to secure a rematch with a win against Calvillo in September.
Calvillo, ranked fifth, is one of the few contenders yet to cross paths with Shevchenko. Though she lost to Chookagian in her last fight, Calvillo has won three of her last four UFC appearances.
Both women could make a significant statement at UFC 266 with a dominant performance, and fighting just before Shevchenko defends her title against Lauren Murphy in the co-main event is a pivotal placement. The winner of this fight is primed to call for a title shot, whether that be against the favored Shevchenko or Murphy going forward.
Most to Lose at UFC 266
Valentina Shevchenko
There’s an aura of invincibility around Valentina Shevchenko, whose 21-3 record includes a current seven-fight winning streak and five straight title defenses at flyweight.
At UFC 266, she’ll face Lauren Murphy, the winner of five straight and the lone top-three contender whom Shevchenko has yet to face. The well-rounded Kyrgyzstan native has earned stoppages due to strikes in three of her last five fights.
If Shevchenko were to struggle with Murphy — or perhaps even more unfathomably, lose — it would erase that aura, as well as potentially her championship run. While oddsmakers favor Shevchenko heavily, UFC 266 promises much more to lose than to gain for the champion.
Robbie Lawler
Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler is on a skid, to put it lightly. Having lost four straight and five of his last six, UFC 266 represents a must-win opportunity for the Sanford MMA fighter.
Against Nick Diaz, who has not won a fight since 2011, Lawler has a great opportunity to get back on track and prove to his detractors that there is still a lot of fight left in this old dog. However, should he come up short against Diaz, the opposite could happen.
With a fifth straight loss and approaching the wrong side of 40, calls for Lawler to retire could come if he does not put on a competitive performance at UFC 266. His back against the wall, Lawler needs a win — or a “Fight of the Night” performance — against Diaz if he wants to stave off doubters one more time.
–Field Level Media
