The UFC featherweight title is once again whole, and it still remains around the waist of Alexander Volkanovski.
A hungry, dangerous striker in Yair Rodriguez entered the octagon at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas seeking to turn his interim title undisputed, but Volkanovski (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) wasn’t ready to relinquish his throne. The UFC 290 main event was a statement-making performance for Volkanovski, who finished Rodriguez (16-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by TKO at 4:19 of Round 3.
During the early feel-out process, Volkanovski switched stances repeatedly was Rodriguez studied his movements. Out of nowhere, a lightning-quick head kick whizzed by Volkanovski’s head. A moment later, a kick to the body was caught by Volkanovski, who used it to complete a takedown and began looking to land punches from the top. Rodriguez attempted to scramble to his feet, but was unsuccessful. Volkanovski racked up a lot of top control time in the first while landing a few big shots from the top.
