UFC 290 Main Event Breakdown

While most of the firecrackers were shot off earlier on this week, the UFC’s got a few specifically meant to go off this Saturday night. Live coverage of UFC 290 begins with the early prelims at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.

Late prelims follow at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on ESPN proper, as well as your local ABC station before culminating with the main card at 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT on ESPN+ pay-per-view inside the United States. All told, barring any postponed fights between now and then, the final version of UFC 290 features 14 fights.

Unification Battle in UFC 290 Main Event

The back-end of your championship doubleheader on Saturday brings with it the business of unification. Immediately following the co-main event of the evening, the headliner puts supremacy at 145 lbs. on the line.

Incumbent UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) collides with UFC Interim Featherweight Champion Yair Rodriguez (15-3, 1 NC MMA, 10-2, 1 NC UFC) in the main event. As is customary for title fights, the UFC 290 main event is a maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

For the undisputed throne 🏆@AlexVolkanovski meets @PanteraUFC goes down SATURDAY at #UFC290!! pic.twitter.com/ZEc7N76qag

— UFC (@ufc) July 5, 2023

UFC 290 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Going into the headlining bout, Yair Rodriguez stands as the taller man at 5-foot-11, compared to the 5-foot-6 frame of Alexander Volkanovski. The former owns a half-inch reach advantage (71 1/2 inches to 71 inches even) over the latter, who has a 5 1/2-inch leg reach advantage (41 1/2 inches to 36 inches even.)

As of Thursday afternoon, the oddsmakers have Volkanovski installed as a -400 favorite on the money line, with Rodriguez countering as a +300 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Volkanovski Looking to Get Back in Win Column

Permanent champion Alexander Volkanovski has posted a 4-1 record over his last five fights, but he’s fallen on hard times in the Octagon of late. Most recently, he saw his streak snapped at the hands of Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in a lightweight championship fight back in February during UFC 284.

Recently, he was interviewed by David Adesanya about the UFC 290 main event. Volkanovski is expecting a dramatic fight.

“He’s a dangerous fighter,” Volkanovski said of Rodriguez.  “He’s always looking for the finish, which is exciting, which excites me, as well. It’s exciting for the crowd. You know he’s going to bring it. You know he’s going to be unpredictable, he’s going to be looking for the finish even if it goes to the ground.”

Will Volkanovski be able to stave off Rodriguez’s advances? Tune into the UFC 290 main event to find out.

UFC 290 Main Event Offers Highest Stakes for Rodriguez

In the other corner, Yair Rodriguez has gone 3-1 with one no-contest in his last five bouts. At the moment, he’s on a two-fight winning streak.

Back in February, he scored the interim championship with a second-round submission (triangle choke) of Josh Emmett (18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in UFC 284. On Wednesday, Rodriguez was interviewed by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. Not only is he fighting for a championship here, there’s also national pride for his home country of Mexico on the line.

“I think I’m fighting for something really, really big,” Rodriguez said. “I’m talking from the self. There’s nothing bigger than yourself. I’m talking about you, I’m talking about me, I’m talking about every single person in the world. We’re like a universe itself, like each person. So, I’m fighting for myself, as well.”

Will Rodriguez make his fellow countrymen cheer this weekend? Only time will tell.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the UFC 290 main event looks to favor Alexander Volkanovski, who owns a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with Yair Rodriguez countering with a black belt in Taekwondo.

Volkanovski Can Punch His Way to a Win

Alexander Volkanovski owns 12 knockout wins over the course of his MMA career. Almost seven years ago, he made the impact of his fists violently known against Yusuke Kasuya in his UFC debut.

During the second round of a scheduled three, Volkanovski dumped Kasuya and took top position. From there, he went to work with ground and pound shots, but Kasuya tried to pursue a submission a few times.

Kasuya’s efforts to submit Volkanovski proved unsuccessful, with the latter continuing to score on the ground. Another burst of head shots from the back mount ended the fight in slightly over two minutes.

If Volkanovski can dump Rodriguez once, it’s his world in the UFC 290 main event.

Don’t Discount Rodriguez’ Ground Game

In the other corner, Yair Rodriguez can be absolutely brutal when the ground in his own right. Just ask Josh Emmett.

Round two of their fight saw both fighters come out landing strikes. Rodriguez became the aggressor with vicious kicks to the body, throwing Emmett off of his gameplan.

Late in the round, Rodriguez knocked Emmett down with a flying knee, landing elbow shots on the ground to soften him up for a triangle choke. He locked the submission in with under a minute to go.

If Rodriguez puts Volkanovski down, he can disrupt the latter’s efforts on Saturday night.

Final Thoughts

UFC International Fight Week delivers again with another solid championship fight in the UFC 290 main event. Get your popcorn ready.

Prediction: Yair Rodriguez by Third-Round Submission.