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Just days out from facing Yair Rodriguez in the featherweight title bout at UFC 290, Alex Volkanovski faced the press with a mysterious facial accessory.
The Aussie then continued appearing with it throughout fight week, including at the weigh-in and as he arrived at the T-Mobile Arena o fight day.
Wrapped across his right cheek was a thick, white band-aid with a championship belt on it, and it didn't take long for the elephant in the room to be addressed.
Why is Alex Volkanovski wearing a band-aid?
The featherweight champion was quick to shut down any concern from fans or the media, downplaying the injury as, "a little scratch."
After a quick callback to rapper, Nelly, who famously sported a band-aid in a similar spot, Volkanovski reassured its presence was precautionary. "We don't want to get it infected so close to the fight," he said.
MORE: UFC 290 predictions, odds & expert picks for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez fight card
Who is Alex Volkanovski fighting?
The Aussie fan-favourite will take on Mexican, Rodriguez, in the main event at UFC 290 on Sunday (AEST).
Volkanovski will be keen to wipe out the interim champion and reclaim his spot on the featherweight throne following his single-fight stint in the lightweight division.
Alex Volkanovski UFC record
Volkanovski's venture into the lightweight division to face Islam Makhachev handed him his first defeat in the UFC and the second in his MMA career. His record still sits at an impressive 25-2-0.
He can be expected to out-strike Rodriguez with 6.35 significant strikes landed per minute to the Mexican's 4.78. Submissions are the rarest method of victory for both fighters, with Volkanovski earning 48% of his wins via KO/TKO.
UFC 290 main card
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Moreno record: 21-6-2
- Pantoja record: 25-5
- Belts at stake: UFC flyweight title
In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno defends the UFC flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno (21-6-2) turned pro in 2011 and joined the UFC in 2016. After being cut by the promotion in 2018, he won the LFA flyweight title before returning to the UFC that year. In his latest run, Moreno is 6-1-2.
Moreno just completed a tetralogy with Deiveson Figueiredo that started in 2020. They fought to a draw at UFC 256 for the flyweight title, Moreno submitted Figueiredo to win the belt in 2021, and Figueiredo beat Moreno to win back the belt in 2022. In his last bout in January, Moreno became flyweight champion again by beating Figueiredo via TKO.
MORE: Breaking down the full history of The Ultimate Fighter
Pantoja (25-5) turned pro in 2007. The Brazilian joined the UFC in 2017 and is 9-3 with the promotion. Pantoja is on a three-fight win streak, beating Alex Perez via submission in his last bout in July 2022.
Both competed against one another in 2018, with Pantoja beating Moreno via unanimous decision. Before that, Pantoja beat Moreno on an episode of The Ultimate Fighter.
Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus du Plessis
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Whittaker record: 25-6
- Du Plessis record: 19-2
In what could be a title contender bout, Robert Whittaker faces Dricus du Plessis. An Australian National Wrestling Championships winner, Whittaker (25-6) turned pro in 2009. Born in New Zealand, the Aussie joined the UFC in 2012 and won The Ultimate Fighter welterweight tournament. "Bobby Knuckles" is 15-4 with the promotion, and after losing against Stephen Thompson in 2014, he went on a 9-0 run. Whittaker beat Yoel Romero in 2017 to win the interim (later promoted) UFC middleweight title but lost it against Israel Adesanya in 2019.
Since the loss, Whittaker has gone 4-1, with the defeat being a rematch against Adesanya for the title. His last bout was a unanimous decision win against Marvin Vettori in 2022.
Du Plessis (19-2) is a 2012 W.A.K.O. Cadet World Championships winner in kickboxing. The South African turned pro in 2013 and won the EFC welterweight title in 2015. He won the EFC middleweight belt in 2017 and the KSW welterweight belt in 2018.
Joining the UFC in 2020, Du Plessis is 4-0 with the promotion. His last fight was a win via TKO against Derek Brunson in March. Since then, he has called out Adesanya for a fight.
MORE: What is Francis Ngannou's MMA record?
Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Turner record: 13-6
- Hooker record: 22-12
Lightweights are in action as Jalin Hooker faces Dan Hooker. Turner (13-6) turned pro in 2016 and has competed in World Series of Fighting, BAMMA, and Bellator. "The Tarantula" appeared on Dana White's Contender Series in 2018, beating Max Mustaki via TKO. Including that win, he is 7-3 inside the octagon. The 28-year-old last fought in March, losing to Mateusz Gamrot via split decision.
A former kickboxer with a 9-1-3 record, Hooker (22-12) won the King in the Ring middleweight kickboxing title. Competing in MMA since 2009, Hooker joined the UFC in 2014 and is 12-8 with the promotion. Since 2020, Hooker's 3-4, losing to tough fighters including Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev. His last fight was a TKO win against Claudio Puelles in November.
Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Nickal record: 4-0
- Woodburn record: 7-0
The young and exciting Bo Nickel faces Val Woodburn to open the UFC 290 main card. A three-time NCAA Division I National Champion and Big Ten Conference champion in wrestling, Nickal (4-0) was named the recipient of the 2019 Dan Hodge Trophy. The 27-year-old had over 120 wins with Penn State.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
He turned to MMA in 2022, fighting on Jorge Masvidal's iKon FC 3. Impressing in his debut, he got brought to Dana White's Contender Series, where he won two fights. Signed by White, Nickal made his PPV debut at UFC 285 in March, beating Jamie Pickett via submission.
An injury to Tresean Gore meant Woodburn was called for the fight just five days in advance. The 29-year-old is 7-0 in his MMA career but this will be his first bout in UFC, and oddsmakers would consider a Woodburn victory here to be the greatest upset in the promotion's history.