Through his run as UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski has steamrolled the competition. Using his patient striking ability, the Aussie has been near-perfect during his 11-fight win streak at featherweight inside the octagon.
Can Volkanovski continue this trend and take down the dangerous Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8?
UFC 290 airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. and is in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It is all part of International Fight Week, which includes a co-main event of UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja.
Volkanovski is 22-1 since 2013, with the only blemish a loss against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in February. “The Great” flirted with destiny and now returns to his weight class to face the interim champion in Rodriguez. Volkanovski has defended the belt against Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, and The Korean Zombie with ease.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
Joe Lopez, his coach, believes his fighter can do the same against Rodriguez.
“I don’t think he’s [Rodriguez] ever met anybody that’s as strong as Alex, and I think that always surprises people,” Lopez said to The AllStar via BJ Penn. “If Alex puts hands on him, he’s gonna really ragdoll him around. It’s just getting in there because he’s just likely to throw a knee or an elbow on everything else, and we’ve been really working on that clinch game to avoid any damage coming in.”
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight tournament, Rodriguez has won eight Performance of the Night bonuses with the UFC due to his violent nature. He knocked out The Korean Zombie with an elbow at the last second and submitted Josh Emmet in his last fight in February for interim gold. The only time he has had trouble was a TKO loss against Frankie Edgar and a war against Max Holloway.
On a two-fight win streak, “El Pantera” is ready to smash his way into the history books.
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Here is all the information you need to watch UFC 290, including channel, time, and fight card.
How to watch UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. July 8 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. July 8 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. July 9 | BT Sport 1, BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. July 9 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 290 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez PPV price: How much does UFC 290 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 290 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 290 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 290 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
When is UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez?
In the U.S., UFC 290 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Volkanovski and Rodriguez should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. July 8 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. July 8 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. July 9 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. July 9 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
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UFC 290 fight card
Main card
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Yair Rodriguez (ic) for the UFC featherweight title
- Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight title
- Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis; Middleweights
- Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker; Lightweights
- Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn; Middleweights
Prelims
- Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price; Welterweights
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes; Strawweights
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield; Light Heavyweights
Early Prelims
- Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio; Light Heavyweights
- Cameron Saaiman vs. Terrence Mitchell; Bantamweights
- Shannon Ross vs. Jesus Santos Aguilar; Flyweights
- Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics; Lightweights
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