The UFC featherweight title is on the line at UFC 290, as Alexander Volkanovski defends the belt against interim champion Yair Rodriguez on July 8.
UFC 290 is in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. and is part of International Fight Week.
Volkanovski turned pro in 2012 and joined the UFC in 2016. Going 12-1 with the promotion, "The Great" has been just that, beating Max Holloway (one of the three times) in 2019 to become champion. He has defended the belt four times, dominating all that oppose him.
It will be Volkanovski's first defense since July 2022, with his most recent bout being a defeat to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in February.
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The winner of the Ultimate Fighter: Latin America tournament in 2014, Rodriguez is 4-2 with one no-contest in his past seven fights. He beat Josh Emmett via submission to win the interim belt. The 30-year-old, known for his vicious strikes, is ready to become another full-time Mexican champion in 2023, joining Brandon Moreno (more on him later) and Alexa Grasso.
Outside the main event, there is another major title fight. Another PPV bout for a dynamic prospect is also booked for the show. Here is a look into the entire main card of UFC 290!
UFC 290 undercard
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Moreno record: 21-6-2
- Pantoja record: 25-5
- Belts at stake: UFC flyweight title
In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno defends the UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno (21-6-2) turned pro in 2011 and joined the UFC in 2016. After being cut by the promotion in 2018, he won the LFA flyweight title before returning to the UFC that year. In his latest run, Moreno is 6-1-2.
Moreno just completed a tetralogy with Deiveson Figueiredo that started in 2020. They fought to a draw at UFC 256 for the flyweight title, Moreno submitted Figueiredo to win the belt in 2021, and Figueiredo beat Moreno to win back the belt in 2022. In his last bout in January, Moreno became flyweight champion again by beating Figueiredo via TKO.
MORE: Breaking down the full history of The Ultimate Fighter
Pantoja (25-5) turned pro in 2007. The Brazilian joined the UFC in 2017 and is 9-3 with the promotion. Pantoja is on a three-fight win streak, beating Alex Perez via submission in his last bout in July 2022.
Both competed against one another in 2018, with Pantoja beating Moreno via unanimous decision. Before that, Pantoja beat Moreno on an episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Whittaker record: 25-6
- Du Plessis record: 19-2
In what could be a title contender bout, Robert Whittaker faces Dricus du Plessis. An Australian National Wrestling Championships winner, Whittaker (25-6) turned pro in 2009. Born in New Zealand, the Aussie joined the UFC in 2012 and won The Ultimate Fighter welterweight tournament. "Bobby Knuckles" is 15-4 with the promotion, and after losing against Stephen Thompson in 2014, he went on a 9-0 run. Whittaker beat Yoel Romero in 2017 to win the interim (later promoted) UFC middleweight title but lost it against Israel Adesanya in 2019.
Since the loss, Whittaker has gone 4-1, with the defeat being a rematch against Adesanya for the title. His last bout was a unanimous decision win against Marvin Vettori in 2022.
Du Plessis (19-2) is a 2012 W.A.K.O. Cadet World Championships winner in kickboxing. The South African turned pro in 2013 and won the EFC welterweight title in 2015. He won the EFC middleweight belt in 2017 and the KSW welterweight belt in 2018.
Joining the UFC in 2020, Du Plessis is 4-0 with the promotion. His last fight was a win via TKO against Derek Brunson in March. Since then, he has called out Adesanya for a fight.
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Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Turner record: 13-6
- Hooker record: 22-12
Lightweights are in action as Jalin Hooker faces Dan Hooker. Turner (13-6) turned pro in 2016 and has competed in World Series of Fighting, BAMMA, and Bellator. "The Tarantula" appeared on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, beating Max Mustaki via TKO. Including that win, he is 7-3 inside the octagon. The 28-year-old last fought in March, losing to Mateusz Gamrot via split decision.
A former kickboxer with a 9-1-3 record, Hooker (22-12) won the King in the Ring middleweight kickboxing title. Competing in MMA since 2009, Hooker joined the UFC in 2014 and is 12-8 with the promotion. Since 2020, Hooker's 3-4, losing to tough fighters including Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev. His last fight was a TKO win against Claudio Puelles in November.
Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Nickal record: 4-0
- Woodburn record: 7-0
The young and exciting Bo Nickel faces Val Woodburn to open the UFC 290 main card. A three-time NCAA Division I National Champion and Big Ten Conference champion in wrestling, Nickal (4-0) was named the recipient of the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy. The 27-year-old had over 120 wins with Penn State.
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He turned to MMA in 2022, fighting on Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC 3. Impressing in his debut, he got brought to Dana White's Contender Series, where he won two fights. Signed by White, Nickal made his PPV debut at UFC 285 in March, beating Jamie Pickett via submission.
An injury to Tresean Gore meant Woodburn was called for the fight just five days in advance. The 29-year-old is 7-0 in his MMA career but this will be his first bout in UFC, and oddsmakers would consider a Woodburn victory here to be the greatest upset in the promotion's history.
When is UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez?
In the U.S., UFC 290 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Volkanovski and Rodriguez should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. July 8 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. July 8 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. July 9 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. July 9 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
How to watch UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. July 8 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. July 8 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. July 9 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. July 9 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 290 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
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In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez PPV price: How much does UFC 290 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 290 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 290 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 290 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
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