Can we just take a moment to appreciate how blessed fight fans are to be receiving a pay-per-view card like UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez this weekend?
In a landscape where rival combat sports like boxing are informed by stale certainties and challenge dodging, mixed martial arts’ premier promotion actually has the balls to pit athletes at the very top of their game against one another. Even if it means risking the derailment of certain hype trains and killing extremely profitable marketing opportunities within the Octagon.
Headlined by two title fights — each promising to be five rounds of unadulterated highlight reel content — International Fight Week 2023 will inevitably be remembered for the upcoming clash between Australia’s featherweight king and former #1 pound-for-pound fighter, Alexander Volkanovski (25-2-0), and the wildly unorthodox Yair Rodriguez (16-3-1).
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Volk, the defending division champion and unbelievably well-rounded fighter, might be the overwhelming betting favourite against the Mexican challenger, but given the interim champion Rodriguez is an unpredictable magician of a striker. After all, he’s proven himself capable of pulling unforeseen wins out of the fire a la Korean Zombie, this promises to be nothing short of fireworks.
And that isn’t to diminish the sheer magnitude of every other main card bout, either. In fact, from the battle for the flyweight strap between the inspiring two-time champ Brandon Moreno (21-6-2) and the formidable Alexandre Pantoja (25-5-0); the continued comeback of New Zealand’s Dan Hooker (22-12-0) as he faces Jalin Turner (13-6-0); to the virtual blood sacrifice of last-minute replacement Val Woodburn (7-0-0) to rising star and accomplished wrestler Bo Nickal (4-0-0)… we predict there won’t be a single moment you’ll feel inclined to tear your peepers away from the screen.
While Moreno vs Pantoja has been booked as the co-main event, unofficially, that honour belongs to Australia’s former middleweight king, Robert Whittaker (25-6-0), and South African brawler Dricus du Plessis (19-2-0). It’s been widely acknowledged that the winner will be the next contender to face the newly-recrowned Israel Adesanya (24-2-0) for a shot at the throne, and both men have their reasons for wanting The Last Stylebender’s head on a platter.
Not only was Adesanya the one to claim the middleweight title from Robert Whittaker with a surgical performance at UFC 243, but he’s also the sole athlete to have defeated The Reaper since 2014 (getting the job done on two separate occasions). Plus considering Whittaker’s fan favourite status, the prospect of a trilogy fight is quite literally in everyone’s interest apart from perhaps Adesanya himself.
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As for Dricus du Plessis, some of you may already be aware of the beef that’s been developing between himself and Adesanya with the former, a white oke believed to be descended from colonisers, questioning the latter’s African heritage. Yes, really. Aside from the fame, fortune, and accomplishment of becoming champion, Stillknocks is after something a little more… personal.
On the topic of scheduled pay-per-view events beyond UFC 290, what’s even more insane than what’s in store for this weekend is the equally jaw-dropping procession of caged encounters on the immediate horizon. Consecutively, there’s…
- UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje II (ft. Jan Blachowicz, Alex Pereira, Tony Ferguson, Stephen Thompson)
- UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O’Malley (ft. Zhang Weili, Ian Machado Garry, Cody Garbrandt, Chris Weidman)
- and of course, the yet-to-be-unveiled UFC 293 to be hosted right here in Sydney; the Dana White-helmed promotion’s second visit to the country this year, sixth visit to the city overall, and first visit to the city since 2017
Like we said in the headline: what bloody cracking time to be a fan of MMA.
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UFC 290 Fight Card
Main
- Alexander Volkanovski [C] vs Yair Rodriguez [IC] — Featherweight Title Fight
- Brandon Moreno [C] vs Alexandre Pantoja — Flyweight Title Fight
- Robert Whittaker vs Dricus du Plessis — Middleweight Title Shot Decider
- Jalin Turner vs Dan Hooker — Lightweight Bout
- Bo Nickal vs Val Woodburn — Middleweight
Preliminary
- Robbie Lawler vs Niko Price — Welterweight Bout
- Jack Della Maddalena vs Josiah Harrell — Welterweight Bout
- Yazmin Jauregui vs Denise Gomes — Women’s Strawweight
- Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield — Light Heavyweight
UFC 290 Start Time (Australia)
The main event of UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez is scheduled to go down at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, July 9, 12 PM AEST / 10 AM AWST.
The preliminary card, on the other hand, starts at 10 AM AEST / 8 AM AWST, following the early prelims which begin at 8 AM AEST / 6 AM AWST — live-streamed for free on UFC Fight Pass and Kayo.
The pay-per-view element, however, will cost you $59.95 here in Australia. No UFC Fight Pass or Kayo subscription is required to purchase.
Now revisit the time we had lunch (and a yarn) with Alexander Volkanovski.
