UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Results
UFC International Fight Week returns to Las Vegas and will feature a blockbuster world championship doubleheader, capped off by a title unification bout that will see featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski battle interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez. Also, two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno defends his belt against long-time rival Alexandre Pantoja.
UFC 290: VOLKANOVSKI vs. RODRIGUEZ takes place Saturday, July 8 at T-Mobile Arena with the main card at 10 pm ET/7 pm PT on ESPN+ PPV. The prelims will be available on ABC and ESPN, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. The night’s action will start at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT with Early Prelims on ESPN 2, ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and UFC Fight Pass.
Main and co-main event scheduled for five rounds. All other bouts scheduled for three rounds. | Official Scorecards
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UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Early Prelim Fight Results
Esteban Ribovics and Kamuela Kirk set the Fight of the Night bar high right out of the gate on Saturday night, engaging in a tremendously entertaining back-and-forth to kick off UFC 290.
Kirk controlled the entirety of the opening frame, putting Ribovics on the canvas immediately and controlling from dominant positions until the horn. Ribovics rallied in the back half of the second, stinging Kirk multiple times with power shots as they traded on the feet. In the third, Ribovics pulled away as Kirk faded, working out of takedowns and clinches to punish “The Jawaiian” and salt away the victory.
After dropping his debut in March, the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate picked up his first UFC win, moving his record to 12-1 in the process, while Kirk fell to 1-2 inside the Octagon and 11-6 overall with the loss.
KABOOM!
Jesus Aguilar put a right hand on the side of Shannon Ross’ head and just like that, the fight was over. Ross was out instantaneously and to his credit, Aguilar recognized it, and held back from throwing any further punches.
What a knockout for Aguilar, who bounces back from a defeat in his debut with an incredible walk-off win.
Cameron Saaiman continues his expeditious climb up the bantamweight ranks, making quick work of Terrence Mitchell to secure his third straight UFC victory.
The 22-year-old South African dominated from the outset, chasing a high-elbow guillotine early before really taking the fight to the UFC newcomer. After battering him with knees in the clinch along the fence, Saaiman dragged Mitchell to the canvas, climbed on his back, and pounded out the finish.
After a couple solid outings to start his UFC run, this was a clean, thorough effort from the youngster, who moved to 9-0 overall with his third consecutive triumph on a Las Vegas pay-per-view fight card.
Vitor Petrino is still green, but the DWCS grad has now collected consecutive victories inside the Octagon to establish himself as a genuine person of interest going forward in the light heavyweight division.
The 25-year-old Brazilian passed the veteran test posed by Poland’s Marcin Prachnio, landing the heavier blows of the two in the opening stanza before turning to his grappling in the second and third, where he latched onto an arm-triangle choke to secure the tap. Petrino wasn’t bothered by much coming back his way, and once he put Prachnio on the canvas in the third, it was clearly a wrap as he methodically worked towards the finish.
He’s had limited experience and still has lots to learn, but Petrino is an impressive physical specimen who showed he’s extremely coachable and brandishing a ton of upside in moving to 9-0 overall with his second straight UFC triumph.
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Prelim Fight Results
Alonzo Menifield continues making headway in the UFC light heavyweight division, collecting a second-round submission win over Jimmy Crute in the rematch from their battle earlier in the year.
The powerhouse from Dallas patiently picked his spots in the first, landing the heavier blows throughout while avoiding getting wrestled to the ground. In the second, both men remained cautious on the feet, with Crute getting deep on a double leg, only for Menifield to pop right back to his feet and clamp onto the neck, twisting the Australian to the canvas where he drew out the tap.
With the win, Menifield pushes his unbeaten streak to four and his record to 5-1-1 over his last seven fights as he continues climbing towards the Top 15. He’s an explosive athlete who keeps improving each time out, and it’ll be interesting to see what’s next for him after this one.
Denise Gomes is a problem at strawweight!
The Brazilian prospect sparked Yazmin Jauregui with a clean right hand in the very first exchange and the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate kept unloading from there, unleashing a torrent of unanswered blows that prompted the stoppage.
After dropping her short-notice debut, the Parana Vale Tudo product has now posted back-to-back finishes, showcasing a different level of power than we’re used to seeing in the 115-pound weight class. Just 23 years old, Gomes is already impressing and still has loads of room to grow.
Tatsuro Taira is still unbeaten, but for the first time in his UFC career, the Japanese prospect was pushed and tested.
The 23-year-old controlled the opening two stanzas against Edgar Chairez as soon as he got the fight to the canvas, but he had to work in order to get there and couldn’t do any appreciable damage. In the third, it was more of the same right until the end, when Chairez latched onto a guillotine choke, adjusted his grip, and rolled into mount, only for the final horn to sound.
Now 4-0 in the UFC and 14-0 overall, Taira remains one of the top prospects in the sport, and should only continue to grow as a result of this test. As for Chairez, the DWCS alum showed he belongs in defeat, and it will be interesting to see what he’s able to do with a full camp next time out.
That’s how you close out a career!
Robbie Lawler got into a fist-fight with Niko Price and wrapped his Hall of Fame career with a knockout victory! You could not script it any better and every single person in the building — including the usually emotionless Lawler — was moved by the moment.
His fight with Rory MacDonald from UFC 189 was inducted into the Hall of Fame earlier this week and now that his career has come to a close, Lawler will likely take his place alongside of it in the near future.
What a way to end it!
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Main Card Fight Results
Bo Nickal’s got hands? Bo Nickal has got hands!
The highly regarded Penn State wrestling standout showed off his boxing skills on Saturday, stinging Val Woodburn with a right hook over the top, before dropping him after a pair of lefts, and dropping the hammer to seal the deal.
Already considered one of the top prospects in the game, this just ups the ante even more for the incredible emerging threat from Happy Valley. Now 5-0, the sky is the limit for Nickal.
Jalin Turner and Dan Hooker teamed up for a thrilling, technical, chaotic punch-up on the pay-per-view main card on Saturday night.
Two of the tallest fighters in the lightweight division, the two men stayed just at the end of each other’s range for the duration, picking at each other with sniper fire and unloading bazookas whenever they got in close. After a close first round, Turner busted up Hooker in the second, hitting him with a high kick that would have put most people out. Instead, the New Zealander ate it, fired back, and nearly choked Turner out at the end of the round.
Both men came out trying to finish early in the third, but as Turner ran out of gas, Hooker swarmed, running him to the ground and following into his guard. Turner did good work off his back, attacking with elbows and punches, but the City Kickboxing man kept him pinned to the canvas until the final couple seconds.
The judges were tasked with determining the victor, and when the scorecards came back, they came back split, with “The Hangman” coming out ahead in what was a fantastic back-and-forth battle.
Dricus Du Plessis is your next middleweight title challenger.
The South African continued his undefeated march towards the top of the middleweight division on Saturday, dispatching Robert Whittaker midway through the second round of the UFC 290 feature bout. He busted up the former champion in the closing minute of the opening round, and then hurt Whittaker again in the second and never let him off the hook, pounding out the finish, just as he said he would.
Now 6-0 in the UFC, “Stillknocks” is most likely going to fight for the middleweight title next. He’s a big, physical force in the 185-pound weight class, and a clash with Israel Adesanya will be fascinating.
Alexandre Pantoja is your new UFC flyweight champion, defeating Brandon Moreno by split decision in an instant classic.
The challenger swarmed the champion in the first, taking the fight to Moreno, dropping him and cutting him in an effort to get him out of there quickly. The champion started utilizing his jab to start the second, clawing back to level through two rounds, and from that point forward, it was tooth-and-nail, with Moreno seemingly getting the better of the striking exchanges and Pantoja having more success in the grappling interactions.
The final horn sounded and no one watching was certain how the scores would come back. When the nines and tens were tallied, Pantoja came out ahead, edging out Moreno to claim the title, giving Brazil its second UFC flyweight champion and returning a Brazilian to the championship class.
This was an absolutely tremendous fight between two rivals that feel like they could meet again in the future.
Order UFC 290 | Official Scorecards
Don't miss a moment of UFC 290: Volkanovski vs Rodriguez, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prelims start at 8pm ET/5pm PT on ABC and ESPN, while the main card kicks off live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
