2023 has reached its halfway point as our MMASucka crew prepares for the final six months of the season.
The first pay-per-view of the summer sees an incredibly stacked card with UFC 290 taking place tonight, July 8 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Early playoffs are available to watch UFC Fight Pass 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT) followed by the regular initial card at 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT) on ABCAnd ESPNAnd ESPN+. The five-fight pay-per-view segment begins at 10:00 PM ET (7:00 PM PT) available for purchase until ESPN+ subscribers.
UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez live results will be available here at MMASucka.
fights
Heading the UFC Featherweight Championship next night is on the line between the current division champion Alexander Volkanovsky and current temporary title holder Yair Rodriguez.
Four-times fullback Volkanovski is hoping to make it to number five as he returns to £145 after a bid in February to become two-division champion. Despite losing a back-and-forth decision to the current lightweight king Islam MukhashafThe Australian has won all but two of his 27 professional fights in mixed martial arts as he looks to cement the legacy he has created. Volkanowski’s opponent, Rodriguez, was awarded the interim title after going through the second round Josh Emmett earlier this year. The bout comes as his first actual belt match through 14 fights with promotion like The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America targets from 2014 to become the third Mexican champion in UFC history.
A second title fight will take place between Brandon Moreno And Alexander Pantoja for the UFC Flyweight Championship in the co-main event. The fight comes as a rematch after their May 2018 fight where Pantoja was awarded a three-round unanimous decision.
Mexico’s first title winner, two-time champion, Moreno is aiming for a three-game winning streak after clinching the interim 125-pound belt. Kay Kara France in July last year and concluded his quadruple ride with Deiveson Figueiredo this past January to make his second career start in the championship. Pantoja, an Ultimate Fighter 24 semi-finalist and former RFA flyweight champion, gets his first chance at gold on a three-fight winning streak, including a submission victory in his last meeting. Brandon Roivale And Alex Perez.
Undoubted gold is at stake@employee And @employee For the featherweight title tomorrow at #UFC290!
[ Live on @ESPNPlus PPV: https://t.co/NRMgHzXZ9Z ] pic.twitter.com/ufSkGcabMC
– UFC (ufc) July 7, 2023
In an eliminator bout for the UFC middleweight division title, The Ultimate Fighter: The Smash winner and former undisputed 185-pound champion Robert Whitaker He will face the seven-fight win streak of the former two-division EFC Champion and former KSW Welterweight Champion Dricos du Plessis.
Looking to steal the show sees an exciting match between the dangerous lightweights Jalen Turner And Dan Hooker who together share an 88% finish rate with 35 overall victories. Turner hopes to bounce back after dropping a split decision Mathews Jamrot In March, Hooker was looking for his second straight win after going into a two-on-one battle with his November 2022 stoppage. Claudio Pulis. The two would compete at a catch weight of 158 pounds after Turner missed the division mark by two pounds.
Open pay-per-view doubles as undefeated middleweight talent as former NCAA Division I wrestler and freestyle wrestler Bo Nickal He is set for his second fight in the UFC against the former Combat Night Middleweight Champion Val Woodburn in its promotional debut. Woodburn intervened with less than a week’s notice to the injured Tracyan Gore.
Although it is not counted among the choices of our employees, Robbie Lawler He will fight his final MMA fight in what will be his 47th match and 25th appearance in the Ultimate Fighting Championship against Nico Price.
Find our staff picks for UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez below.
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka’s team selections consist of five promotions: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature main card selections only. The PFL will show select fights from the main and preliminary card while the DWCS will see all fights counted from the event. The ONE-Selection Championship returns for the first time since 2020 and will feature only card-selected Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights with a minimum of three matches.
The winner of the Selected Staff at the end of 2023, who selected the fighters with the most victories, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a series of championship chains. Staff picks won in 2022 Wesley Riddell With a record of 264-135.
Who’s been picked and expected to win at UFC 290: Volkanowski vs. Rodriguez?
Staff records after UFC on ABC 5:
1. Michael DeSantis: 151-72
2. Ben Jamison: 150-73
3. Nate Freeman: 146-77
4. Jeremy Brand: 145-78
5. Fraser Crohn: 144-79
6. Wesley Riddell: 143-80
7. Julio Monteros Jr.: 128-73
8. Jack Goodwilly: 118-64
9. Andrew Benjamin: 110-88
10. Brian Knight: 109-59
11. Tim Wheaton: 105-60
12. Romelu Reyes: 62-34
13. Jonathan Andrade: 29-21
14. Brandon Joint: 12-9
15. Andrew Benjamin: 10-7
16. Joshua Yoli: 7-6
*Note – Not all employees opt for each event*
Bo Nickal (4-0), -1800
against.
Val Woodburn (7-0), +1000
Middleweight division
– 185 lbs. ~ 83.9 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Wesley Riddell: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Michael DiAntis: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Fraser Krohn: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Nate Freeman: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Julio Monteros Jr.: Nickal via Round 2 SUB
Brian Knight: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Jack Goodwilly: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Ben Jamison: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Jonathan Andrade: Nickal via Round 1 SUB
Anthony Jackson: Nickel via Round 1 SUB
Nickel’s staff pick: 12
Woodburn staff pick: 0
Jalen Turner (14-6), -285
against.
Dan Hooker (22-12), +240
Catchweight fight
– 158 lbs. ~ 71.7 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Turner via unanimous decision
Wesley Riddle: Turner via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Turner via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Hooker via unanimous decision
Fraser Krohn: Turner via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Turner via 2nd round TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Turner via Round 2 TKO
Brian Knight: Turner via 2nd round TKO
Jack Goodwilly: Hooker via unanimous decision
Ben Jamison: Turner via 2nd round TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Turner via 3rd round TKO
ANTION JACKSON: Turner via unanimous decision
Turner’s staff pick: 10
Hooker staff selection: 2
Robert Whitaker (25-6), -375
against.
Dricos Du Plessis (19-2), +285
Middleweight division
– 185 lbs. ~ 83.9 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Wesley Riddle: Whitaker via Round 2 TKO
Michael DiAntis: Whitaker via 3rd round TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Whitaker via Split Design
Fraser Kron: Whitaker via 3-round TKO
Nate Freeman: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Brian Knight: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Jack Goodwilly: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Ben Jamison: Whitaker via 3rd round TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Whittaker via Split Design
ANTION JACKSON: Whitaker via unanimous decision
Employees who choose Whitaker: 12
Choice of du Plessis employees: 0
Brandon Moreno (21-6-2), -205
against.
Alexander Pantoja (25-5), +175
Flyweight division championship
– Co-main event –
– 125 lbs. ~ 56.7 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Moreno via Round 2 SUB
Wesley Riddell: Moreno via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Moreno via Split Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Moreno via unanimous decision
Fraser Krohn: Pantoja by unanimous decision
Nate Freeman: Moreno via Split Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Moreno via Round 3 TKO
Brian Knight: Moreno via Round 4 TKO
Jack Goodwilly: Moreno via unanimous decision
Ben Jamieson: Moreno via unanimous decision
Jonathan Andrade: Moreno via Round 3 SUB
Antion Jackson: Moreno via unanimous decision
Moreno staff pick: 11
Staff selection stakes: 1
Alexander Volkanovsky (25-2), -380
against.
Yair Rodriguez (16-3, 1 NC), +290
Featherweight Division Championship
– The main event –
– 145 lbs. ~ 65.8 lbs. –
Jeremy Brand: Volkanovski via unanimous decision
Wesley Riddle: Volkanowski via 4th round TKO
Michael DeSantis: Volkanovski via unanimous decision
Andrew Benjamin: Volkanovski via 2nd round TKO
Fraser Kron: Volkanovski by unanimous decision
Nate Freeman: Volkanowski via unanimous decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Volkanovski via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Volkanovski via unanimous decision
Jack Goodwilly: Volkanowski via unanimous decision
Ben Jamison: Volkanovski via 4th round TKO
Jonathan Andrade: Volkanovski via 2nd round TKO
Anthony Jackson: Volkanovski via unanimous decision
Employees who choose Volkanovsky: 12
Rodriguez staff pick: 0
UFC 290 Featured Image: