LAS VEGAS — Alexander Volkanovski gave a reminder to those who may have doubted his greatness on Saturday by dismantling Yair Rodriguez in their bout for the featherweight championship in the main event of UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Volkanovski beat up Rodriguez thoroughly over two-plus rounds Saturday, out-striking, out-grappling, out-wrestling and outperforming Rodriguez in every area of the game.
Volkanovski was coming off an agonizingly close defeat to Islam Makhachev in February in a bid for Makhachev’s lightweight title. Many thought Volkanovski won and he has remained ahead of Makhachev in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings, just behind heavyweight champion Jon Jones. “Whether I put that in my head from a mindset to make sure I prepared properly, I don't know. But today, this week, I flipped the switch. I prepared how I did because of the man I respected. But a couple of days ago, my mindset switched. I'm the champ. I'm the king of this division. No one was ever stopping me, so this is where we come in and do our thing.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez prediction, odds, picksAlexander Volkanovski matches up with Yair Rodriguez ahead of UFC 290 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Read more »
UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski beats Yair Rodriguez with third-round TKO for featherweight titleRodriguez was the interim champion after Volkanovski temporarily moved up to lightweight, but the Australian left little doubt who was the better fighter in running his record to 26-2 in what was s…
Read more »
UFC 290: Alexander Volkanovski says he’s better after losingThe featherweight champ, who faces interim champ Yair Rodriguez in Saturday’s main event, says he’s improved after vying for Islam Makhachev’s lightweight belt
Read more »
UFC 290 Odds and Prop Picks: Striking Gold with VolkanovskiUFC 290 is one of the biggest cards of the year and sportsbooks are putting out special odds that MMA bettors need to take advantage of while they last. Covers_Ro has more:
Read more »
UFC 290: Live updates, highlights, odds, how to watch Volkanovski-Rodriguez, Moreno-Pantoja title boutsUFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez will face off Saturday to determine the undisputed title-holder at UFC 290 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The co-main event will feature a rematch between flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and his long-time rival Alexandre Pantoja.
Read more »
UFC 290: Alexandre Pantoja edges Brandon Moreno for flyweight title in instant classicLAS VEGAS — The third time was a charm for Alexandre Pantoja.
Read more »