UFC 290 is the UFC’s marquee event for International Fight Week in 2023. Headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski along with features from Mexican superstars Brandon Moreno and Yair Rodriguez, the card will surely bring many eyes and fun times. Here are the top five reasons to watch UFC 290:
Retirement for Former Champion
Robbie Lawler first appeared in the UFC at just 20 years old back in 2002. Despite being released 2 years later after a 7 fight stint, Lawler made his way back in 2013 when the UFC bought out Strikeforce and has been with the promotion ever since. Between winning the welterweight championship, defending it twice, and headlining 7 events, Lawler made the most of his 2nd run in the promotion. Lawler has announced that Saturday against Niko Price will be the last time we see him compete in the UFC. The news may be upsetting to most as Lawler is a staple of the sport, however after 25 fights with the UFC and 47 in his career, it’s good to see him know when to call it quits.
Bo Nickal Steps Back On The Big Stage
Bo Nickal has been the center of many conversations when it comes to upcoming prospects at 185 pounds. The former NCAA wrestler had an impressive UFC debut back in March, defeating Jamie Pickett by 1st round submission. While his original opponent Tresean Gore has pulled out with an injury, Nickal will remain on the card against newcomer Val Woodburn. Woodburn was slated to compete in late August on DWCS but was pulled so that Nickal could stay on the card. The Combat Night middleweight champion holds a 7-0 record with 5 KOs and seems to be a tough short-notice test for Nickal. Seeing how he deals with a late opponent change is crucial in Nickal’s development, so keep your eyes peeled for this one.
Top Middleweight Contenders Clash
In a fight that has massive implications for the 185-pound division, Robert Whittaker takes on rising contender Dricus du Plessis. With the division at a current stand-still and a contender desperately needed, there’s a good chance the winner takes on Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. du Plessis has been garnering much attention from Izzy as of late, with the champion going as far as saying he “hopes” Dricus wins on Saturday. The South African is riding a 5 fight win streak in the UFC with 4 finishes and is all but confirmed to get the shot with a win. Standing in his way is former champion Robert Whittaker who’s hungry to prove he can earn his title back. Whittaker has lost twice against Adesanya, but the second fight was closely contested and could warrant a rematch with an impressive win on Saturday.
Brandon Moreno Seeks Revenge
Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno is no stranger to adversity. The champion fought his way into the UFC after losing on TUF to Alexandre Pantoja. He also managed to fight his way back into the UFC after being released following a loss to the same man. Moreno gets his chance at revenge this weekend when he defends his title against the man who took away multiple chances from him. Moreno is eager to show his growth and improvement as a fighter, and Pantoja is eager to prove that nothing changed. Coming off a grueling quadrilogy against Deveison Figueiredo, if Moreno can follow up those fights with a win over Pantoja, he would solidify himself as a top champion in the UFC.
Featherweight Title Unification
Alexander Volkanovski has proven on multiple occasions that he’s one of the best we’ll ever see in the octagon. Whether it’s putting a statement finish on his trilogy with Holloway or moving up to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, Volk can and will do it all. This fight is different than any in Volkanovski’s past as he is coming off a loss heading into this title defense. Seeing how Volkanovski bounces back from the loss will show us Volk’s ceiling as an all-time great. If he can get past the dangerous interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290, a matchup with Ilia Topuria seems on the horizon. If Volkanovski can get past both of these high-level fighters, talks of him being the greatest featherweight of all time are warranted.
What is your most important reason to watch this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
