UFC 290: Volkanovski Remains King of the Featherweights After TKO Win Over Rodriguez

• Alexander Volkanovski defeated Yair Rodriguez on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena
• He won via TKO in the third round to become the undisputed UFC featherweight champ
• He extended his winning streak in the 145-pound division to 11 matches

Alexander Volkanovski reminded everybody that he is still the king of the 145-pound division.

The Australian star returned to the featherweight division with a bang, beating Yair Rodriguez via TKO in their UFC title unification bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.

He has now won his last 11 featherweight contests in the UFC, the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski punishes Rodriguez

It was an impressive showing from the Australian, who improved his MMA record to 26-2-0, per CBS Sports.

He suffered a cut after taking an elbow from Rodriguez in the first round, but that didn’t stop Volkanovski from inflicting heavy damage on the Mexican fighter.

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As soon as Rodriguez fell to the canvas in the third round, Volkanovski blitzed him with punches before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight. The end came at 4:19 in Round 3.

Volkanovski makes history

Volkanovski became the fourth fighter in UFC history to make an attempted title defense after losing a championship bout, per USA Today.

He lost to Islam Makhachev in their UFC lightweight championship fight last February.

His six victories in UFC featherweight championship bouts are second-most in divisional history behind Hall of Famer Jose Aldo, who has eight.

Volkanovski fought with injured arm

What made his victory even more impressive was the fact that he fought Rodriguez with an injured arm.

He revealed in an interview with Joe Rogan after the fight that he will undergo surgery to repair his arm.

He promised fans that he will return for one more fight this year, saying that he wants that UFC lightweight belt.

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Pantoja beats Moreno in classic

Sports Brief also reported on Alexandre Pantoja beating Brandon Moreno in their title clash in the UFC flyweight division.

They staked their claim for Fight of the Year after going toe to toe for five rounds in an epic slugfest on Saturday.

It was Pantoja, who emerged victorious in the end, winning the fight by split decision.