Video: Alexander Volkanovski pokes at Brian Ortega as they trade barbs ahead of UFC 266

Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega are starting to get testy as they gear up for their UFC featherweight championship fight.

Volkanovski (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) puts his title on the line against Ortega (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 266 on Sept. 25 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Things started to get heated during the filming of Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter” but appeared to taper towards the end of the show. It’s perhaps a stretch to claim that things are personal, but it’s clear that Ortega’s behavior has irked the champion.

Volkanovski has made sure to highlight the fact that Ortega never showed up on time for his team’s practice and was particularly bothered at how he boasted when his team was up 4-0 to kick off the show. Team Volkanovski was able to drastically turn things around by winning the next seven bouts, and Volkanovski thinks Ortega’s tone has changed ever since.

In a recent join interview on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Volkanovski and Ortega discussed their upcoming fight in what seemed like a relatively calm interview to start. But Volkanovski made sure to toss in a few jabs before host Michael Eaves rounded things off, which sparked a back-and-forth between the two.

Check out the full video above.