All You Need to Know About UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Headlines Main Card

All You Need to Know About UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Headlines Main Card

Joel Reyes
updated at July 7, 2023 at 8:00 AM
  • Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title versus Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290
  • Brandon Moreno will defend his flyweight title against top contender, Alexandre Pantoja
  • Robert Whittaker will face Dricus Du Plessis in a battle of top middleweight contenders

We are just a few days away from UFC 290, and excitement is building for one of the year's biggest fights.

Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez will lock horns this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena for the UFC Featherweight Championship.

Here’s all you need to know about Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez and the other fights on the main card for UFC 290.

UFC 290, Alexander Volkanovski, Yair Rodriguez, Brandon Moreno, Alexandre Pantoja
Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez. Images: Chris Unger/ Mike Roach.
Source: Getty Images

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez

The much-anticipated featherweight title unification showdown between reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim champ, Yair Rodriguez will headline the card.

Volkanovski has won 12 consecutive featherweight contests in the UFC, the last five of which were championship fights.

The Australian star last fought at UFC 284, where he nearly upset lightweight champ, Islam Makhachev in their title clash.

He returns to the featherweight division to fight Rodriguez, who won the interim title after beating Josh Emmett via submission in the second round, per UFC.com.

The Mexican’s unpredictable attacks and incredible speed make him a tough opponent for Volkanovski.

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja

The first title fight of the night will pit flyweight king, Brandon Moreno against No. 1 contender, Alexandre Pantoja.

Moreno delivered a statement win in his last fight at UFC 284, traveling to Rio de Janeiro to record a TKO victory over champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, per USA Today.

The Mexican star will have his work cut out for him against the in-form Pantoja, who is coming off a spectacular performance at UFC 277, beating Alex Perez in just 91 seconds.

Pantoja has fared extremely well against Moreno, winning both of their previous two meetings.

Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis

A championship opportunity in the middleweight division is at stake in the bout between Whittaker and Du Plessis.

Whittaker has only suffered defeat twice in the division, losing to reigning champion Israel Adesanya on both occasions.

Things are bound to get tougher for Whittaker this coming Saturday as he will face the in-form Du Plessis.

The South African fighter has won his last seven fights and carries a perfect 5-0 slate in the UFC.

A victory over Whittaker will move Du Plessis one step closer to that dream showdown with Adesanya.

Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker

They will finally lock horns this weekend, months after their scheduled fight at UFC 285 was scrapped.

Turner still fought on that March pay-per-view card, losing via split decision to Mateusz Gamrot. Turner, who had his five-fight winning streak snapped with that loss, will look to get back on track against “The Hangman.”

Hooker has fully recovered from the fractured hand that forced him out of his initial showdown with Turner.

Expect fireworks to erupt in this matchup as both fighters are aggressive strikers with elite finishing to boot.

Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn

Woodburn stepped in on short notice to fight Nickal as a replacement for Tresean Gore, who was forced to withdraw due to a wrist injury.

Nickal will now put his unbeaten MMA record on the line against Woodburn, who is also undefeated with a 7-0 slate.

The UFC rookie impressed in his promotional debut last March, defeating Jamie Pickett via submission in the first round to push his record to 4-0.

Rousey to make UFC return?

Sports Brief recently reported on Ronda Rousey possibly returning to UFC.

She hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since her shocking loss to Amanda Nunes in just 48 seconds in December 2016.

Rousey made a career switch, joining the WWE after losing to Nunes.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.
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