The Ringer MMA Show

UFC 290 Mega-Preview: Alexander Volkanovski’s Most Dangerous Opponent, Brandon Moreno Chases Revenge, and the Massive Stakes for Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis

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MMA MMA
Sports Sports
July 6, 2023
1 hr 47 min

Hosts

Ariel Helwani Ariel Helwani Chuck Mindenhall Chuck Mindenhall Petesy Carroll Petesy Carroll

About the episode

A massive International Fight Week card calls for a massive old-school-style preview show from Ariel Helwani, Petesy Carroll, and Threads sensation Chuck Mindenhall. In this episode, the lads get into UFC 290 by discussing the following:

If Yair Rodriguez actually is Alexander Volkanovski’s most dangerous opponent so far, and whether the flashy Rodriguez has a legitimate shot at dethroning the unflappable Volkanovski (14:00)
If Volkanovski wins, will the Sydney native turn around in two months and fight the likes of Spanish sensation Ilia Topuria? Or will Volkanovski aim for a rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev? (25:00)
Brandon Moreno’s incredible improvement since his last loss to Alexandre Pantoja, and whether that even matters in Saturday’s co-main event (34:31)
The unusual middleweight title picture, and why Sean Strickland just put tons of pressure on Dricus Du Plessis and Robert Whittaker (41:07)

Plus, Dan Hooker takes on a big challenge in lightweight prospect Jalin Turner (50:58), historic Vegas odds on Bo Nickal (57:54), and the guys share their favorite Robbie Lawler memories before “Ruthless” steps into the UFC Octagon for the final time on Saturday (1:02:13). And of course, some questions from the Discord about Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury, PFL Europe, and more (1:25:16).