UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez – Preview

It’s International Fight Week! UFC 290 goes down this weekend and it is set to be one of the best cards of the year. In the main event, it’s a featherweight unification fight; champion Alexander Volkanovski returns to 145lbs to take on interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez. The flyweight title will be on the line in the co-main event, as defending champion Brandon Moreno looks to avenge a loss to streaking contender Alexandre Pantoja.

Before the championship bouts, however, will be a title eliminator at 185lbs. Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker hopes to surge back into a championship opportunity, but he will have to hold off South African finisher Dricus du Plessis. This, and much more, is in store on Saturday night.

Let’s take a closer look at this card!

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(c) Alexander Volkanovski (25-2) vs (ic) Yair Rodriguez (15-3, 1 NC) – UFC featherweight championship unification bout

The undisputed UFC featherweight title will be up for grabs between a dominant Aussie champion and a flashy Mexican striker.

Even though he may have narrowly lost his shot at the lightweight title, there is absolutely no doubting that Alexander Volkanovski is one of the best fighters on Earth. His dominance at 145lbs has been nothing short of stunning, but he feels like there’s more to come. Volkanovski has previously shown his capabilities on the mat, which could play a factor at UFC 290, but it’s most likely that he will stick to his bread and butter; his expert striking. His speed is unparalleled and his accuracy is second to none. Combining these natural attributes with a wide repertoire of attacks make Volkanovski an almost insurmountable task for his featherweight opponents. ‘The Great’, as expected, is heavily favoured to walk out victorious.

On the same night that Volkanovski failed to break through at 155lbs, Yair Rodriguez earned the interim championship with a triangle choke of Josh Emmett in the second round. It capped off a run to the title that included a record-setting knockout of Chan Sung Jung and a back-and-forth battle with Max Holloway, culminating with his victory over Emmett, one which made him the second ever UFC champion from Mexico. Stylistically, Rodriguez presents a much taller opponent with a diverse arsenal of striking attacks. His unpredictability is one of the key factors to his success. His jiu-jitsu has seemed to improve since the early days of his career, but I wouldn’t be expecting him to shoot for takedowns.

ODDS: (c) Volkanovski (-420), (ic) Rodriguez (+320)

(c) Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) vs (#2) Alexandre Pantoja (25-5) – UFC flyweight championship bout

Mexico’s first UFC champion will look to avenge his losses to Brazil’s surging finisher.

With his iconic rivalry with Deiveson Figueiredo put to rest, Brandon Moreno is ready to move on and establish his legacy as a champion. His first task will be to notch his first title defense against an opponent that has bested him in the past. Moreno is one of the most well-rounded fighters at flyweight. His striking has improved from training with the likes of James Krause and Sayif Saud, but his chin and durability are his main assets on the feet. His grappling has proven to be a strong suit, having eleven career submissions to his name. ‘The Assassin Baby’ is sitting at 1/2 in the eyes of the oddsmakers, as of writing.

Alexandre Pantoja was long considered a dark horse at 125lbs, but his opportunity to claim UFC gold has finally come. Since his last win against Moreno, the Brazilian has gone 6-2, including the three-fight win-streak he is currently riding. His jiu-jitsu has been the deciding factor in both of his bouts against Moreno; he locked in a rear-naked-choke on The Ultimate Fighter and dominated the grappling exchanges in their first professional meeting. Pantoja is definitely a capable striker, but I would expect him to make an attempt to bring this to the mat. ‘The Cannibal’ is never a dull fighter to watch and being on the warpath for the title won’t change that.

ODDS: (c) Moreno (-200), Pantoja (+170)

(#1) Robert Whittaker (25-6) vs (#6) Dricus du Plessis (19-2) – UFC middleweight championship eliminator bout

A shot at the middleweight title hangs in the balance between a former titlist and a rising contender.

No contender at 185lbs has earned their position more than Robert Whittaker. The ex-champ failed to regain his title in a 2022 bid against Israel Adesanya, but fended off Marvin Vettori in a washout display. Now, he has an opportunity to earn another title shot. Whittaker’s blitzing attacks and speed make him a tricky puzzle for anyone to solve on the feet. In paticular, he has found repeated success with his one-two-roundhouse combination. His takedown defense is near inpenetrable as well, which will bode well against a strong grappler like du Plessis. ‘The Reaper’ is heavily favoured to pick up another win at UFC 290 and inch closer to a chance at championship redemption.

The middleweight champion has been searching for new blood in his division and he may have found it in Dricus du Plessis. The South African native enters this title eliminator on a five-fight win-streak in the UFC, most recently beating Derek Brunson by TKO. To break through to title contention, however, he’ll need to get past his biggest test to date. du Plessis has an erratic and chaotic striking style, often exacerbated by cardio struggles. His forté comes on the mat, where he uses his physicality to drag the opponent to the ground and look for the finish. The bookmakers have ‘Stillknocks’ at 3/1 – for as impressive as his run up to this point may have been, Whittaker is a whole new kettle of fish.

ODDS: Whittaker (-380), du Plessis (+300)

(#11) Jalin Turner (13-6) vs (#12) Dan Hooker (22-12) – lightweight bout

Fireworks are expected at 155lbs between a pair of finishers that will square off at UFC 290.

The five-fight finish-streak of Jalin Turner may have been snapped in his controversial split decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot, but the stock of the former has only risen since then. At only 28 years of age, Turner has already shown a level of maturity and fight IQ that is often seen with older fighters. He remains to be one of the best prospects in his division, in spite of the loss. Standing at a ludicrous 6’3″, Turner is the tallest lightweight on the roster and utilises his stature to his advantage. His long wingspan allows him to connect with strikes from the outside, as well as being very useful in synching in his deadly submissions. For me, ‘The Tarantula’ is one of the most consistently entertaining contenders at 155lbs and his -250 status is justified.

He has had a rough run of form in recent years, but Dan Hooker is back to winning ways. His stoppage of Claudio Puelles at UFC 281 proved that the Kiwi isn’t willing to forfeit his claim to being one of the best lightweights on the planet. Hooker’s standard gameplan typically revolves around keeping the fight standing and using his range to pick the opponent apart from distance. Now that he’s matched up with someone that outsizes him, however, it’ll be interesting to see what approach he and his team at City Kickboxing have devised. ‘The Hangman’ currently sits as an underdog, but there’s no counting him out, under any circumstances.

ODDS: Turner (-250), Hooker (+205)

Bo Nickal (4-0) vs Tresean Gore (4-2) – middleweight bout

One of MMA’s top prospects makes his sophomore appearance with the UFC against a dangerous TUF alumnus in the main card opener.

Few fighters have entered the UFC with more fanfare than Bo Nickal and he lived up to the expectations. His disposal of Jamie Pickett was light work, using his far superior wrestling to steamroll his overmatched opponent. This time, he’s looking for nothing but the same. Nickal, a three-time NCAA gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, will have a very obvious gameplan in every one of his bouts; bring things to the ground and finish matters quickly. His fights on DWCS and the regional scene have also shown that he has punching power that can render his opponents stiff. Nickal comes into this bout at a whopping 1/12, the biggest favourite on the card by a country mile.

Certain that he will be the one to end the hype, Tresean Gore wants to pick up his second win in the Octagon. His first victory came in his third UFC bout, where he defeated Josh Fremd via a brutal guillotine choke. He’s now determined to dominate Nickal in all ranges of the fight. Gore showcased his submission ability against Fremd, but his knockout power was on display during his stint on The Ultimate Fighter, flattening Gilbert Urbina with a left hook. For those of you interested in putting money on an underdog, you’ll scarcely find numbers like the ones on Gore; “Mr. Vicious” enters this contest at 7.5/1.

ODDS: Nickal (-1200), Gore (+750)

Robbie Lawler (29-16, 1 NC) vs Niko Price (15-6, 2 NC) – welterweight bout

A former champion and legend of the sport will bow out with one last battle against a game striker with finishing power.

The illustrious career of Robbie Lawler will come to a close at UFC 290. His long and tenured journey to championship gold has seen him engage in some of the greatest fights of all time, including one that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame just prior to his final fight. As of today, Lawler’s skills are not what they once were, but his tenacity has not faded. He can still pack power in his punches and can take his fair share of punishment as well. It’s fair to say that the whole MMA community will be rallying behind ‘Ruthless’ on Saturday night.

Ready to spoil the show is fellow Floridian Niko Price. He has been putting on showcases of violence in the UFC since 2016, racking up four performance bonuses and going toe-to-toe with the likes of Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, Michel Pereira and Randy Brown. Stylistically, Price embodies reckless abandonment. He’s willing to trade shots with any fighter stood in front of him and I expect no different from him on Saturday. The bookies favour ‘The Hybrid’ to get the job done against Lawler, highlighting his youth and one-shot power.

ODDS: Lawler (+210), Price (-260)

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Who will leave Las Vegas with titles? What do you think will win ‘Fight of the Night’? Let us know in the comments below!