UFC 290 Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Odds, Tips & Predictions

Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez headline a stacked card in Las Vegas at UFC 290 as the pair throw down to determine who is currently the best at 145lbs.

"The Great" returns to defend his featherweight crown after daring to be great but just falling short of claiming the lightweight title from Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in Perth.

Interim champion "El Pantera" carries the weight of a nation on his shoulders, much like teammates Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso, as Mexico hopes to continue its recent rise to stardom in the organisation.

UFC 290 Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Tip

Alexander Volkanovski To Win By Decision or Technical Decision

This will be no walk in the park for Volk, but as an extremely conditioned, hard-working champion, we expect the judges to give him the nod.

The Aussie is one of the organisation's very best fighters, sitting second in the overall pound-for-pound rankings. On his path to UFC gold, he's dismantled elite competition, including fan favourite Max Holloway three times and former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

All four of those victories came via decision, and that's the outcome we see unfolding again here.

Yair Rodriguez is a very unpredictable, flamboyant fighter. He's good at operating on-the-fly and will prove a challenge to Volkanovski. But for Yair to permanently etch his name onto the featherweight strap he will need to execute a very specific game plan flawlessly.

It's not that he doesn't possess the tools to beat Volk, but rather that the champ is an incredibly disciplined and well-rounded beast.

There are shadows of Georges St-Pierre in Volk - a fighter at the peak of his powers, who you know is going to do certain things but that you are helpless to stop.

Although he will be eyeing up a rematch with Makhachev in the not-too-distant future, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more focused and driven fighter than the 34-year-old former Rugby League front rower.

Volk is also one of the UFC's most active fighters, who will have fought 14 times in eight years when he steps out to face his Mexican counterpart on Saturday night. Compare that to Rodriguez, who has only traded hands on four occasions since that highlight knockout over The Korean Zombie in 2018, and there's a stark contrast between the pair's output.

After handling almost everything 155lb king Islam Makhachev had to throw at him on the ground in February, he'll be much more confident in those grappling exchanges with someone 10 pounds lighter. Volk likes to mount and pummel his opponents on the mat just as much as he doesn't mind beating them up on the feet, so he's likely to use his wrestling game to great effect.

Nine of The Great's UFC fights have been handed over to the judge's scorecards - including his last two - losing only once by this method in a very evenly contested bout at lightweight earlier this year.

This selection is odds-on with some firms, so we'll be taking the 29/20 on offer courtesy of Unibet/BetUK.

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