UFC 290
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodríguez was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which took place on July 8, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
Background
The main event featured a unification match for the UFC Featherweight Championship between the reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski and the interim titleholder Yair Rodríguez.
In the UFC Flyweight Championship division, two-time titleholder Brandon Moreno faced challenger Alexandre Pantoja. Their history extends back to 2016, including previous UFC encounters where Pantoja secured victories in both bouts. Brandon Royval was designated as the backup fighter for this matchup.
A middleweight title eliminator saw former champion and winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes Robert Whittaker compete against former KSW Welterweight Champion Dricus du Plessis. The victor was set to earn a future championship opportunity against Israel Adesanya.
The event also marked the retirement fight for former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who went up against Niko Price.
Lightweights Jalin Turner and Dan Hooker were scheduled to fight after their bout was postponed from UFC 285 due to Hooker’s injury. Turner failed to make weight by two pounds, leading to a catchweight contest and a 20% deduction from his purse.
A flyweight contest between former two-time champion Deiveson Figueiredo and ex-Rizin Bantamweight Champion Manel Kape was canceled after Figueiredo was medically disqualified and transitioned to bantamweight. Subsequently, Kape was booked to face former interim flyweight contender Kai Kara-France at UFC 293.
On the preliminary card, bantamweights Christian Rodriguez and Cameron Saaiman were slated to compete; however, Rodriguez withdrew and was replaced by promotional debutant Terrence Mitchell.
A welterweight bout featuring Jack Della Maddalena and Sean Brady was called off when Brady pulled out due to an infection. Josiah Harrell stepped in as Brady’s replacement but was removed a day before the event following a diagnosis of Moyamoya disease.
Middleweight Bo Nickal was set to fight Tresean Gore, who withdrew shortly before the event because of a wrist ligament injury. Promotional newcomer Val Woodburn accepted a late call-up as Gore’s substitute.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Lightweight |Esteban Ribovics |def. |Kamuela Kirk |Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) |} |}
Bonus awards
The fighters awarded $50,000 bonuses included:
- Fight of the Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
- Performance of the Night: Dricus du Plessis and Denise Gomes