UFC 290 is set to bring an explosive card to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for International Fight Week, culminating in the event on Saturday, July 8.
No. 2 pound-for-pound and featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski returns to his division for a title unification bout with Mexican superstar and interim 145-champion Yair Rodriguez in the main event. Volkanovski will look to continue his title run after he was edged by Islam Makhachev in his bid for champ-champ status at lightweight.
A trilogy bout between flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja is the co-main event. While Moreno is only unofficially 0-1 against Pantoja, the challenger defeated Moreno on Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter in an exhibition bout. Pantoja beat Moreno again in a 2018 rematch, which sent Moreno packing from the UFC for four fights. Moreno went on a tear to become a two-time UFC flyweight champ.
The main card also features Robert Whittaker taking on Dricus du Plessis in a bout with hefty title implications at middleweight; Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner in a lightweight barn burner, and wrestling prodigy Bo Nickal taking on fellow undefeated fighter Valentine Woodburn.
There is a stacked preliminary card slate before we get to the main card action, however. A former welterweight champion and legend is retiring, undefeated prospects will look to stay unblemished, and more.
Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price
Former UFC welterweight kingpin Robbie Lawler is reportedly retiring after UFC 290. He gets a willing striker in Niko Price for his swansong.
“Ruthless” has become a fan favorite over his 22-year, 45-fight professional career. His welterweight title run is widely regarded as a fun time in the sport by fans. In his second UFC stint after time spent in Pride and Strikeforce, Lawler dropped from middleweight and took wins over Rory MacDonald, Bobby Voelker and Josh Koscheck to set up a welterweight title bid against Johny Hendricks for the vacant belt. Lawler came up short in a close decision but earned a rematch after wins over Matt Brown and Jake Ellenberger. This time, he capitalized with his own close decision win. He made two title defenses, against MacDonald and Carlos Condit, in two of the greatest fights of all time.
While a loss to Tyron Woodley sent him into a rough stretch, it’s believed that his two title defenses took a lot out of him. He would pick up wins over legends in Donald Cerrone and Nick Diaz, and along the way, fought a who’s who of welterweights and middleweights during his entire career.
Price will push the pace against Lawler and possibly draw the old “Ruthless” out for one last time. The action-heavy price, who has wins over Tim Means, Randy Brown, Alex Oliveira and James Vick, marks a properly violent send-off for the beloved legend.
Between a notable retirement fight and the potential for some violence, the prelim headliner is not one to miss.
Tatsuro Taira vs. Edgar Chairez
Taira was featured in the “5 Preliminary Card Fights to Watch on UFC on ABC 5” article for his bout against Kleydson Rodrigues, but that fell through when Rodrigues missed weight. He makes the cut again because of his status as a blue-chip prospect at flyweight. This time, Chairez is his foe.
Japan’s Taira, only 23 years old, is 13-0 and 3-0 in the UFC. He has already beaten Carlos Candelario, CJ Vergara and Jesus Aguilar since joining the promotion.
He’ll have to mind his chin early against Chairez, who has several quick finishes on his record.
Simply put, Taira is a prospect to watch, but Chairez could shock the MMA sphere with an upset.
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield II
Crute and Menifield are set for a rematch after their first fight went to a majority decision at UFC 284. Interestingly enough, that card also featured Volkanovski when he fought Makhachev.
Crute is looking for his first win since October 2020 when he beat Modestas Bukauskas. Menifield was the winner of two straight before the draw.
There are rankings implications in this one, too, as Crute is looking to preserve his No. 14 ranking. T/KO wins over Misha Cirkunov and Askar Mozharov set Menifield up for the shot to break into the light heavyweight top-15.
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes
Jauregui enters the bout with Gomes a perfect 10-0 as a professional and 2-0 in the UFC. She defeated Iasman Lucindo via unanimous decision and Istela Nunes by ground and pound TKO.
Gomes is 1-1 in the Octagon, losing to Loma Lookboonmee in her UFC debut but getting back in the win column with a TKO over Bruna Brasil.
Jauregui will look to make it three in a row in the big show and continue her march to the strawweight rankings in what is the deepest women’s division in the UFC. Gomes, meanwhile, will bid to be the spoiler.
Cameron Saaiman vs. Terrence Mitchell
Another undefeated fighter on the prelims, Saaiman is 8-0 as a pro and 2-0 in the UFC. He’ll look to fend off UFC debutant Mitchell.
Saaiman TKO’d Steven Koslow and took a majority decision over Mana Martinez. Mitchell enters with a 15-2 record.
Saaiman appears to be a top prospect in the bantamweight division, and he’ll need a win over Mitchell to keep that blue-chip status.
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