After beating virtually everyone at featherweight, Alexander Volkanovski wants someone to test him. He may get his wish when the UFC featherweight champion defends the title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8.
UFC 290, part of International Fight Week, is inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S..
Since 2013, Volkanovski has gone 22-1, with that loss coming at lightweight against champion Islam Makhachev. Within his division, he's practically unstoppable. "The Great" wants to put another fighter at featherweight away to clean out the division. However, he knows Rodriguez won't be an easy fight for him.
"I believe so, 100 percent, I think it's [the fight with Rodriguez] the most dangerous," Volkanovski said on Israel Adesanya's FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube site via MMA Mania. "Does that make it the hardest? We will see. A lot of people will be, 'What about Max [Holloway], what about this?' They are different challenges, and that is the thing people have to understand. I always look at Yair as a more dangerous opponent for me than an Islam [Makhachev] because of that crazy, sporadic, always looking for a finish in the striking, and unpredictable behavior. It's different.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 290 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
"What's a harder fight? I'll probably say Islam is going to be a harder fight. But who's more dangerous? I'll say Yair is more dangerous. It excites me. He's going to have these big threats and see how I deal with them."
The 30-year-old Rodriguez is 9-2 with one no-contest with the UFC. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin American, Rodriguez has beaten the likes of B.J. Penn, The Korean Zombie, and Brian Ortega. He can submit or knock anyone out and is looking to remove the interim tag from his name and become the third Mexican fighter this year to hold onto undisputed gold.
Here's all you need to know about UFC 290, from time, channel, and card.
What time is UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez today?
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 |
MORE: PFL 2023 regular-season standings
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+.
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.
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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