Two topics that get a lot of discussion in the mixed martial arts world are fighter safety and open scoring. After watching Brian Ortega go five rounds with Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 266, it’s worth talking about both those things — together.
At the end of the third round of the UFC featherweight title fight, Ortega spent the first 10-plus seconds of the between round break on his back trying to get air into his lungs. When his team got to him, they helped him to his stool and then went to work on getting him ready to go back out and face the 145-pound UFC champion for another five minutes.