Round 3 Between Alexander Volkanovski And Brian Ortega Dubbed 'The Greatest Round Of All-Time'

Let's face it, every single round in the bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega was box office, edge-of-your-seat entertainment - but one five-minute segment stood out from the rest.

The third round in their featherweight title fight at UFC 266 has now been called "the greatest round of all-time" - and it's hard to argue that it wouldn't at least be in the conversation.

Australian fan favourite Volkanovski successfully defended his 145-pound belt against Ortega, walking away with a unanimous decision victory.

But while the champion did dominate for much of the fight, there were a number of big moments which could have seen Ortega capture the strap had they of gone his way.

And those title-deciding moments where Volkanovski survived not one but two submissions happened to all fall in the same round: the third.

With the championship rounds looming, Volkanovski ramped up the pressure even more and entered into another gear.

Dictating the tempo of the fight, he continued to pepper his rival with a flurry of strikes while also successfully avoiding the takedown.

His octagon control and sheer volume meant his was definitely winning on the judges' scorecards, but things quickly changed when Ortega got the upper hand in the third.

Catching Volkanovski with a quick shot out of nowhere, the title challenger managed to drop the champ and quickly dived on top to lock in a guillotine choke.

Ortega, a master on the ground, locked in the choke tight and looked set to end the fight there and then.

But incredibly, Volkanovski remained composed and somehow wriggled his way out of it and ended up on top.

Once in an advanced position, the Aussie then started raining down on Ortega with some brutal ground and pound.

But Volkanovski was far from safe.

As he poured on the hammer fists, jiu-jitsu specialist Ortega pulled guard and managed to sink in a triangle choke.

With one minute still remaining in the round, Volkanovski either had to hold on and risk being choked unconscious or find a way to slip out of the choke.

He decided the latter.

Twisting and turning, he miraculously managed to roll his way out of the triangle and ended up on top once again.

The claxon then sounded to bring an end to the chaotic round and while Volkanovski picked himself up and returned to his corner, Ortega remained on the canvas absolutely exhausted from the back-and-forth round that had just played out.

Unsurprisingly, spectators went nuts inside the T-Mobile Arena when the third round finally ended.

As for the MMA fans watching from home, they were quick to heap praise on Volkanovski after footage of his double escape act emerged online with some people calling him 'terminator'.

When ESPN posted the clips on social media, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya perhaps summed up the collective feeling best with his analysis.

The Kiwi commented: "Escaped his best subs!!"

While fellow UFC star Lando Vannata also chimed in, adding: "Broke him by beating him in his best positions."

But while some people instantly congratulated Volkanovski, others simply sat back in awe of the entire round which had just took place before their eyes.

BT Sport reporter Chamatkar Sandhu tweeted: "HOLY S**T!!! ADD VOLKANOVSKI VS ORTEGA ROUND 3 TO YOUR LIST FOR ROUND OF THE YEAR!! MADNESS!!"

As another added: "Ortega Volkanovski Round 3 might be the greatest round of all time wtfffff."