The UFC has stacked the deck with an international lineup of fighters, with the promotion confirming a 13-bout lineup for UFC 290 as tickets go on sale for the UFC’s summer showcase.
The event takes place on Saturday, July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the show set to form the centerpiece of the UFC’s annual International Fight Week celebrations.
Headlining the event are a pair of championship bouts, with the UFC’s featherweight and flyweight titles on the line.
Australia’s reigning featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski tops the card as he looks to unify the UFC’s 145-pound titles with victory over interim champion, Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez. There’s Mexican interest in the co-main event, too, as defending flyweight champ Brandon Moreno bids to defend the crown he unified with victory over longtime rival Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 283 in January.
Moreno takes on Brazilian contender Alexandre Pantoja, who is making his first tilt at a UFC world title. However, it’s not the first time Pantoja has faced Moreno, with “The Cannibal” already holding two victories over the current champion – a rear-naked choke submission during their exhibition bout during their time on The Ultimate Fighter Season 24, and a unanimous decision victory at UFC Fight Night 129 in May 2018. Now, more than five years later, they’re set to face off again, with championship gold on the line.
Also set for action is a pair of middleweights with championship aspirations, as Australia’s former middleweight king Robert Whittaker takes on South African contender Dricus Du Plessis in a bout that could well determine the next challenger to Israel Adesanya’s undisputed 185-pound title.
There’s also an intriguing lightweight battle, as New Zealand’s Dan Hooker faces off against rising American contender Jalin Turner, while former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler will make what’s expected to be his final UFC appearance as he takes on Niko Price.
Nine different nationalities will be represented on the 13-fight card, with the full list of confirmed matchups below.
UFC 290: Confirmed fights
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez – for unified featherweight title
- Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja – for flyweight title
- Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis
- Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker
- Bo Nickal vs. Tresean Gore
- Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price
- Sean Brady vs. Jack Della Maddalena
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Shannon Ross vs. Jesus Aguilar
- Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio
- Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics
- Christian Rodriguez vs. Cameron Saaiman