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Brian Ortega reveals how past encounter with Alexander Volkanovski made him respect the UFC champ so much

Brian Ortega had ill will against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung ahead of their fight at UFC Fight Island 6, but don’t expect that same kind of heat for a possible showdown with reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Following a dominant five-round victory on Saturday night, Ortega was declared the de facto No. 1 contender at 145 pounds, which puts him on a collision course with Volkanovski.

In the aftermath of his win, Ortega had nothing but praise for Volkanovski including an incident from earlier this year that gave him a new-found respect for the Australian native.