The
UFC 290 pay-per-view card is set with two title fights now
official after the weigh-ins took place.
Headlining the anticipated 14-fight card is a featherweight title
unification battle between Alexander
Volkanovski and interim champion Yair
Rodriguez. Both men successfully made weight, as the Australian
weighed 144.5 pounds, and Rodriguez came in at 145 pounds on the
dot. Meanwhile, the co-main event is also official as Brandon
Moreno looks to defend his flyweight belt against Alexandre
Pantoja. Both men weighed exactly 125 pounds. All other
fighters on the card made weight except for Jalin
Turner (158), who checked in two pounds over the lightweight
limit for his fight against Dan Hooker
and has been fined 20% of his purse.
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Volkanovski (25-2) is coming off his first defeat since 2013 as he
came up a hair short in his bid to become a two-weight champion
against lightweight kingpin Islam
Makhachev. Dropping back to featherweight, “The Great” will
look to show that he’s still a dominant champion that hasn’t lost a
step. The 34-year-old is undefeated at 145 pounds.
There’s plenty of momentum behind Rodriguez (15-3, 1 NC), who
claimed the interim title by choking out Josh Emmett.
Prior to the title win, “El Pantera” prevailed over Brian
Ortega when “T-City” suffered a shoulder injury. Rodriguez has
been a top contender since 2018, and his only setback was a
five-round decision defeat to Max
Holloway.
UFC 290 main card will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7
p.m. PT on Saturday. Prelims begin on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass at 6
p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT before moving to ESPN, ABC and ESPN+ at 8 p.m.
ET/5 p.m. PT.
UFC 290 Weigh-in Results:
Alexander
Volkanovski (144.5) vs. Yair
Rodriguez (145)
Brandon
Moreno (125) vs. Alexandre
Pantoja (125)
Dricus Du
Plessis (186) vs. Robert
Whittaker (185.5)
Dan
Hooker (155.5) vs. Jalin
Turner (158)*
Bo
Nickal (186) vs. Valentine
Woodburn (185.5)
Robbie
Lawler (170.5) vs. Niko Price
(171)
Josiah
Harrell (170.5) vs. Jack
Della Maddalena (171)
Denise
Gomes (115.5) vs. Yazmin
Jauregui (115.5)
Jimmy
Crute (205) vs. Alonzo
Menifield (205.5)
Edgar
Chairez (129) vs. Tatsuro
Taira (130)
Vitor
Petrino (206) vs. Marcin
Prachnio (206)
Terrence
Mitchell (135) vs. Cameron
Saaiman (135)
Jesus
Santos Aguilar (126) vs. Shannon
Ross (126)
Kamuela
Kirk (155.5) vs. Esteban
Ribovics (156)
* Turner missed weight by two pounds and has been fined 20% of
his purse.