T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has become the center of the sports universe. Last month, the venue hosted the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Sin City’s first big league team, the Vegas Golden Knights, hoisted Lord Stanley’s chalice to make history. Now, Sin City’s sparling arena will host UFC 290 on Saturday night. The loaded UFC betting card features two championship fights. Defending featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will face #1 ranked Yair Rodriguez. And defending flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will meet #2 ranked Alexandre Pantoja. To summarize, five bouts and eight ranked combatants are on the main card.
UFC 290 Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, July 8, 2023, 10 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada |
| UFC Fight Night Main Card TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Featherweight Championship Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alexander Volkanovski | -450 |
| Yair Rodriguez | +325 |
Defending champion Alexander Volkanovski has an offshore betting record of 25-2. At the same time, challenger Yair Rodriguez stands at 16-3.
Last time out, Alexander Volkanovski lost a unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev on February 12, 2023. The fight was for the UFC lightweight champion. The defeat snapped a 22-bout winning streak. Of course, Volkanovski is normally a featherweight. Volkanovski has successfully defended his featherweight championship four times. Originally, Volkanovski won a unanimous decision against Max Holloway for the featherweight belt on December 14, 2019. Late on, Volkanovski won a unanimous decision over Max Holloway on July 2, 2022, to defend the featherweight belt. It was his third win over Holloway for the featherweight crown.
Namely, Yair Rodriguez is the interim featherweight champion. Last time out, he won the interim title against Josh Emmett on February 12, 2013. On July 16, 2022, Rodriguez won a 1st-round TKO against Brian Ortega. Previously, Rodriguez lost a unanimous decision to Max Holloway on November 13, 2021.
Flyweight Title Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brandon Moreno | -170 |
| Alexandre Pantoja | +145 |
Defending champion Brandon Moreno has a career record of 21-6-2. In comparison, Alexandre Pantoja is 25-5 in his career.
Late on, Brandon Moreno won his most recent two bouts. Moreno is coming off a TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo on January 22, 2023. At stake was the UFC flyweight championship. Previously, on July 30, 2022, Moreno won a TKO against Kai Kara France. With the win, Moreno won the UFC flyweight championship. Initially, Moreno won the UFC flyweight title in a 3rd-round submission against Deiveson Figueiredo on June 12, 2021.
Alexandre Pantoja is riding a 3-bout winning streak. Last time out, Pantoja won a 1st-round submission against Alex Perez on July 30, 2022. On August 31, 2021, Pantoja won a 2nd-round submission against Brandon Royval on August 21, 2021. And then, on February 6, 2021, Pantoja won a unanimous decision against Manel Kape. Specifically, the matchup against Moreno is Pantoja’s first championship bout.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Robert Whittaker | -360 |
| Dricus Du Plessis | +295 |
Overall, Robert Whittaker has a career record of 25-6 with the UFC Betting odds. Dricus Du Plessis is 19-2 in his career.
Lightweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jalin Turner | -210 |
| Dan Hooker | +180 |
Jalin Turner is 14-6 in his career. In turn, Dan Hooker is 22-12 in his career.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bo Nickal | -1250 |
| Tresean Gore | +800 |
In sum, Bo Nickal has a career record of 4-0. By contrast, Tresean Gore is 5-2 in his career.
UFC 290 SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Yair Rodriguez and Alexander Pantoja are capable underdogs in good form at great prices.
UFC 290 SBG Best Bets: Yair Rodriguez and Alexander Pantoja.