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International fight week continues on with UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez which is happening this Saturday (July 8th) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is quite stacked with a featherweight title unification bout in the main event, and a high stakes flyweight championship rematch in the co-main. Furthermore, the PPV main card features a 3X NCAA Div I national wrestling champ turned UFC middleweight prospect, a possible 185-pound title eliminator before that, and then kicks off with an action fight between two of the lengthiest lightweights in the UFC.
Capping off the main card will be the UFC’s 145-pound king, Alexander Volkanovski, looking defend his crown against the interim champion, Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski has been shutting down the 145-pound division, so he bounced out of there for a lone match against the UFC’s 155-pound champ, Islam Makhachev. While he was away, Rodriguez was busy securing himself an interim title. Now, there can only be one king at featherweight.
In the UFC 290 co-main event, flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will attempt to avenge a past lost by defending his belt against a man that already holds a decision win over him, Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno has been battling ghosts from his past for over three years now. He had those million matches with Deiveson Figueiredo, plus had to run it back with Kai Kara-France before the Figgy saga was all said and done. Welp, here’s another rematch for him. Pantoja posted up three wins in a row to get here, including back-to-back first-round finishes of Brandon Royval and Alex Perez. I’m not sure if a challenger could possibly be any more motivated.
Also on the main card, 4-0 tier-1 prospect Bo Nickal is expected to trounce the 4-2 Tresean Gore, and then before that there’s an elite 185-pound matchup between the UFC’s former middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, and surging contender Dricus Du Plessis. Not to get lost in the sauce, the main card features the 75.5” reach of Dan Hooker paired up with the 75.5” reach of Jalin Turner. Can I get a jab!? You know it’s a super stacked event when the prelims open up with surging welterweight title hopeful Jack Della Maddalena, and close out with former welterweight champ, UFC HOF’er, and total legend, Robbie Lawler.
Unfortunately, the snake-bitten Jack Della Maddalena has lost his second opponent for UFC 290. First, he lost a top-tier tilt against the UFC’s #8 ranked welterweight, Sean Brady, after Brady pulled out for undisclosed reasons. Then after getting re-booked against undefeated ‘Muscle Hamster’ Josiah Harrell, it looked as though Jack would be staying on the card. However, during pre-fight medicals, it was discovered that Josiah is suffering from an uncommon brain disease known as Moyamoya Syndrome, and will be needing surgery ASAP. This is surely some scary stuff, and our thoughts go out to Harrell and his family during this difficult time.
Start time and date
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez takes place on July 8th at the the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event starts at 10 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET and the early prelims go live at 6 p.m. ET.
PPV price and how to watch
UFC 290 is available on ESPN+ PPV for $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay $124.98 for the UFC 290 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription. The event is scheduled to start live at 6:00pm ET, 3pm PT, with the early prelims on the ESPN+ streaming platform in the US, as well as Fight Pass. The PPV main card is to kick off at 10:00pm ET, 7:00pm PT. For full streaming details, and compatible devices go here.
Full UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez fight card
Main card
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez: Featherweight Title Unification
- Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja: Flyweight Title
- Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis: Middleweight
- Dan Hooker vs. Jalin Turner: Lightweight
- Bo Nickal vs. Valentine Woodburn: Middleweight
Prelims
- Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price: Welterweight
- Shannon Ross vs. Jesus Aguilar: Flyweight
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes: Strawweight
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield: Light Heavyweight
Early prelims
- Cameron Saaiman vs. Terrence Mitchell: Bantamweight
- Tatsuro Taira vs. Edgar Cháirez: 130-pounds
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Josiah Harrell: Welterweight
What comes after UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez
The next event after UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez is UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Bueno Silva, and this card will happen on July 15th from the lifeless APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the card will be the UFC’s former bantamweight champion, Holly Holm, taking on the promotion’s #10 ranked 135-pounder, Mayra Bueno Silva. The co-main here will occur in the middleweight division when 16-4 Albert Duraev tangles with 16-5 Jun Yong Park.
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