Alexander Volkanovski-Yair Rodriguez Championship Clash Expected for UFC 290

The Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight strap will be unified once again come July.

International Fight Week for the UFC now has its first bout coming together, although it has not yet been signed by the competitors. At UFC 290 on July 8 inside of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Alexander Volkanovski (25-2) will look to unify his 145-pound belt against interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez (15-3, 1 NC). The news was first reported on Thursday by Ariel Helwani, and it has since been confirmed by other outlets. It has not yet been determined if that match will headline the tentpole event.

Volkanovski saw his bid for a second strap fall to pieces when he moved up to pieces to take on Islam Makhachev. The Aussie fell short against the 155-pound king in hopes of becoming a two-division champ. According to Fox Sports Australia back in March, Volkanovski had been pushing for an immediate rematch, but the promotion wanted him to return to his former division to settle things first. As a featherweight, “The Great” has never tasted defeat, with his only two pro losses at 155 and 170 pounds. This includes a trio of victories over Max Holloway, as well as wins over Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega and several others as he paved his way towards all-time greatness.

Winner of Season 1 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America,” Rodriguez has served as a top contender in the division for several years now. Only losing to Frankie Edgar and the aforementioned Holloway, “El Pantera” worked his way up the ladder to finally claim gold in February. Tapping Josh Emmett with a triangle choke, Rodriguez put the featherweight throne in dispute. While Volkanovski has picked up four post-fight bonus checks through his UFC tenure, Rodriguez’ nine is tied for the most in divisional history with Holloway and Cub Swanson.