After attempting to become a double champion at lightweight, Alexander Volkanovski looks to continue his dominant run at featherweight. However, he knows destiny is calling again following UFC 290 on July 8.
Volkanovski defends the UFC featherweight title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez. The fight, airing on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S., is inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Since joining the UFC in 2016, Volkanovski has run through the featherweight division. The Aussie's beaten the likes of Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (3x), Brian Ortega, and The Korean Zombie. Wanting to test himself, he faced Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt in February, losing a tough contest.
While not looking past Rodriguez, the man second in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings is confident in his abilities, especially if he faces Makhachev a second time.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
"People will be like, 'Oh, he's looking past him [Yair]'. I know he's dangerous. I just know what I'm capable of," Volkanovski said on the Impaulsive podcast via Mirror. "I plan on running through him and moving on.
"I'm always a safe bet, we're going to go back to my mindset and how I look at it. I'm going to prepare as if this is the biggest challenge of my life, I'm going to turn up and do what needs to be done. I still expect to go out there and kick f****** a**. People say I'm looking forward as I'm planning on going champ-champ by having that rematch with Islam."
Rodriguez won The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America tournament in 2014. He is 4-2 with one no-contest in his past seven fights. To earn this opportunity, Rodriguez beat Josh Emmett via submission to win the interim belt. He is ready to join Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso as Mexican fighters to become full-time UFC champions.
Want to buy UFC 290? Here's all you need to know to watch the event, including the price.
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 |
| 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+.
MORE: How to watch: 'Conor McGregor: Notorious' documentary
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 |
UFC 290 fight card
Main card
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Yair Rodriguez (ic) for the UFC featherweight title
- Brandon Moreno (c) vs. Alexandre Pantoja 2 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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