UFC 290 is finally here, and boy is it a stacked card! We will see our man Alexander Volkanovski up against Yair Rodríguez as the Main Event for the Featherweight belt. The Co-Main is also a juicy one, a rematch between Brandom Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja for the Flyweight belt.
Plus, we have a cracking Middleweight bout with Robert Whittaker taking on Dricus Du Plessis with the winner likely fighting for the belt. There are also many other key fights to get you pumped up before the main show.
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Check out all our UFC tips for UFC 290 including predictions for the Main Event, as well as two other fights on the card:
Best Bet - Alexander Volkanovski on Points - $2.15
The main event is going to be absolutely massive. Alexander Volkanovski is taking on interim champ Yair Rodriguez to defend his Featherweight belt. Volk is arguably the featherweight GOAT, being undefeated at Featherweight. His resume is also ludicrous, with 3 wins over Max Holloway, a TKO win over the Korean Zombie and Chad Mendes, and wins over Brian Ortega and legend Jose Aldo.
The only blemish on his insane record is a decision loss to Islam Makhachev earlier this year at UFC 284 Perth when he moved up a weight class to chase that second belt – a controversial loss. Yair Rodriguez has also been on an impressive run. His star power exploded after his finish over the Korean Zombie with an elbow with 1 second left in the fight.
After a decision loss to Max Holloway in late 2021, he picked up an impressive TKO win over Brian Ortega and claimed the interim belt at UFC 284 with a slick submission over Josh Emmett. This is a fun matchup, between two world class strikers. On the feet, it’s dangerous for Volk, Yair has incredible footwork and throws multiple un-telegraphed kicks, giving anybody trouble.
With that being said, Volk has danced with some of the best strikes, being able to deal with Holloway’s pace. I think the advantage here for Volk is the grappling. Being able to go 5 rounds with Islam is not an easy task, if Yair finds himself on his back, it’s going to be a long night.
Volk by decision.
Next Best - Robert Whittaker by KO/TKO - $2.25
There’s a lot at stake for Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis. The winner of their Middleweight bout will likely get a shot at the champ Israel Adesanya. For Whittaker, it’ll be 3rd time lucky and for Du Plessis, it’ll be to squash some beef.
Whittaker is the best middleweight in the world that is not named Israel Adesanya. He’s elite on the feet and very capable on the ground. Du Plessis has had issues with his cardio before, he looked gassed at times against Till, but managed to find a second wind in the 3rd.
His unbeaten run in the UFC has been impressive, with wins over Brunson, Tavares, Giles and Till. I think “Bobby Knuckles” will be too much for him though. He’ll push the pace, pick his shots and overwhelm Du Plessis.
Whittaker by KO/TKO. If we’re looking for more value, I’d take round 2.
Value Bet - SGM - Brandon Moreno to Win, Brandon Moreno by KO, Significant Strikes Over 114.5 - $8.00
The Co-Main is another interesting one, with the Flyweight belt on the line. Brandon Moreno has finally ended his feud with Deiveson Figueiredo after winning the 4th matchup between the two at UFC 283. Now his focus is on Alexandre Pantoja, who was actually handed the decision win over Moreno back in 2018.
I think Moreno is really his best self at the moment. His boxing is slick and snappy, his cardio is incredible, and can submit you from anywhere. He’s got so much Main Event experience under his belt, and it seems his fight IQ has gotten better and better. He loves to get into a scrap, he’s always down from a brawl and has a rock-solid chin.
Plus, he has bragging rights over Moreno as it stands. However, I feel like Moreno has evolved, he’s technical and he’s been in those high-pressure situations before. I feel he’ll be too good, and he’ll find his shots later in the fight.
I’m tipping a KO win for value and more than 114.5 significant strikes; these boys will get busy.
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