Yair Rodriguez faced his toughest challenge to date when he stepped into the octagon against Alexander Volkanovski. However, Volkanovski completely dominated his Mexican adversary and successfully defended his featherweight title, leaving little doubt about his superiority in the division.
Volkanovski and Rodriguez collided in a much-anticipated encounter at UFC 290 in Las Vegas, where the objective was to unify the featherweight championship.
As the main event on Saturday, July 8th, the showdown between ‘El Pantera’ and ‘The Great’ captivated the attention of MMA fans.
Alexander Volkanovski defeats Yair Rodriguez
El Pantera, prior to the fight, delivered a powerful message and issued a warning to his next octagon opponent, Alexander Volkanovski. Rodriguez confidently proclaimed that his unique and unpredictable MMA style would be on full display.
However, Yair’s plans failed to materialize as Volkanovski once again asserted his dominance, establishing himself as the undisputed champion of the featherweight division.
Alexander Volkanovski TKO’s Yair Rodríguez (2023)
📸 @CooperNeill pic.twitter.com/HvORWQMKRn
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) July 9, 2023
Following his defeat to Islam Makhachev at the same event where Rodriguez emerged victorious against Emmett, Volkanovski responded with a menacing warning to his fellow featherweight contenders. Today, the Australian sensation showcased his undeniable dominance in the division, leaving Yair with little opportunity to succeed against him.
Ilia Topuria seems to be the next name in line for the Aussie champ unless he wants another shot at the lightweight title. However, Charles Oliveira is likely going to be the one to face the 155-pound king after picking up the win in a contender eliminator matchup against Beneil Dariush.
There are still quite a few months left for the Abu Dhabi card, so it is probably too early to tell who the final challenger is going to be.
Alexander Volkanovski’s title defense streak
Since claiming the featherweight title with a victory over Max Holloway in 2019, ‘The Great’ has proven himself as a formidable champion by successfully defending his title on multiple occasions. Notably, Volk has triumphed in five consecutive title defenses against a bunch of esteemed featherweight fighters.
The Australian MMA fighter’s first defense came against Holloway, a highly regarded former champion, in a thrilling rematch. In his next defense, Volk faced Brian Ortega, another top contender in the division known for his grappling expertise.
AND STILL!👏🇦🇺🏆
🚨Alexander Volkanovski defeats Yair Rodriguez via TKO in Round 3 to successfully defend his UFC Featherweight Championship🚨
Pure dominance. He is frighteningly good. Unstoppable?#UFC #UFC290 #MMA #VolkanovskiRodriguez #Australia #AlexanderVolkanovski #P4P pic.twitter.com/8ygmppTrJw
— The Sweet Science Media (@sweetsciencepod) July 9, 2023
The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung, presented the next test for Volkanovski, but the champ showcased his technical proficiency, earning another successful defense.
Tonight despite the hype surrounding Rodriguez, Volkanovski proved his mettle once again, overwhelming his opponent and successfully defending his title for the fifth time.
Alexander Volkanovski moves up to the No. 2 spot with only Jose Aldo in his way. Last night he said he had his eyes on a few records and I'm certain this is one of them 👀 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/utUff0LKkR
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 9, 2023
Do you think Alexander Volkanovski is the featherweight GOAT? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
