The UFC returns to the T-Mobile Arena for International Fight Week and UFC 290 for a huge card, headlined by the featherweight title unification bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez.
The co-main event is a flyweight title fight between men who have fought twice before as the champion Brandon Moreno looks to get his first win over Alexandre Pantoja.
We’ll also see a huge middleweight scrap between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis, while Robbie Lawler makes the walk for the final time against Niko Price and Bo Nickal returns too.
Last time we picked an entire card was UFC 289 where we went 6/10 with three perfect picks to move to 878/1361 (64.51%) with 357 (41%) perfect picks. You can see our full pick history here.
We’ll look to improve on that here and after starting with the early prelims, we move on to the rest of our prelim picks.
Tatsuro Taira (13-0) vs Edgar Chairez (10-4) – (Catchweight/130lbs)
A late-notice fight saved at the last minute up next in a catchweight bout. Taira is a phenomenon in the flyweight division, currently 3-0 in the UFC with submission wins in his last two. Chairez makes his UFC debut on a two-fight win streak on a little over a week’s notice.
Taira is a stunning grappler with incredible submission skills, while also being a tidy striker on the feet also. Chairez is fairly well-rounded also, but he seems out-matched everywhere here and it’s a tough ask for him to come in on short-notice against a stud like Taira.
The UFC have a potential star on their hands but they’re being careful about building him too quickly. This screams another Taira win though, and he’s likely to get it with a swift takedown and then working to another armbar finish in the second round.
PICK – Tatsuro Taira via Submission, Round 2
Jimmy Crute (12-3-1) vs Alonzo Menifield (13-3-1) – (Light Heavyweight/205lbs)
These two fought each other back at UFC 284 to a draw, with Menifield dropping Crute twice before he had a point deducted for a fence grab when Crute was dominating in the third round.
Crute is a tidy boxer, but it’s his excellent wrestling and incredibly top pressure that saw him break onto the scene in the UFC as a top prospect. Menifield is a striker with an absolute weapon of a right hand, but his overall skillset isn’t the most well-rounded and that’s a problem here. Crute’s chin has obviously shown that it can be cracked, and Menifield has the power to dent it further.
However Crute will know he has a clear route to victory in the grappling, and the likelihood is that he will need just one takedown per round to get it there and keep it there. Expect him to avoid the early hammer blow and take Menifield down early, before controlling on the ground for a decision win.
PICK – Jimmy Crute via Decision
Yazmin Jauregui (10-0) vs Denise Gomes (7-2) – (Strawweight/115lbs)
Absolute banger in the women’s strawweight division up next. Jauregui is undefeated and has gone 2-0 in the UFC, with a TKO finish over Istela Nunes in her most recent bout. Gomes suffered defeat to Loma Lookboonmee in her debut, but earned a KO win over Bruna Brasil most recently.
Both of these women like to knuckle-up and go out swinging, with Jauregui having a slight speed advantage and accuracy edge in the match-up between them. Gomes has got an excellent wrestling game in her back pocket too, but she’s got to find a way to use it without getting clipped first.
Overall this should be a really fun fight for as long as it lasts, which is rare to say in this weight division, but Jauregui is the more powerful fighter with a bit more big-fight experience so I’ll edge with her getting it done after a war.
PICK – Yazmin Jauregui via Knockout, Round 3
Jack Della Maddalena (14-2) vs Josiah Harrell (7-0) – (Welterweight/170lbs)
A mismatch if we’ve ever seen one, but this isn’t the UFC’s fault on this occasion. Maddalena comes into the fight on a 14-fight win streak with four first-round finished in his four UFC bouts. Harrell steps in on a week’s notice to replace Sean Brady, who withdrew with illness. He is undefeated and makes his UFC debut in this bout.
Maddalena is one of the best boxers in he UFC with fantastic combinations, excellent power and a great fight IQ to make reads and capitalise on them. Harrell is also a striker but isn’t a natural welterweight and is nowhere near a strong enough wrestler to upset the rhythm of Maddalena.
The Australian is a top prospect at 170-pounds and this is a chance to pad his record a little bit. Expect a showcase before a nasty combination turns Harrell’s lights out somewhere in the opening five minutes.
PICK – Jack Della Maddalena via Knockout, Round 1
Robbie Lawler (29-16) vs Niko Price (15-6) – (Welterweight/170lbs)
One of the greatest welterweight fighters of all-time makes the walk to the octagon for the final time “Ruthless” fights Price in his retirement bout. Lawler was beaten by Bryan Barbarena last time out by knockout, making it five defeats in his last six fights. Price has lost two of his last three, getting stopped by Phillip Rowe in his last outing.
Lawler is a fine wrestler but it’s his power striking and incredible aggression which has made him a household name and legendary figure in the sport. Price has a very similar fighting style to Lawler, with tones of aggression and a good mix of striking and wrestling in his weaponry.
This is going to be a straight up war which means the fans will be electric and the fighters will go for it. But in 2023, that doesn’t suit Lawler anymore and Price is more likely to outland him and outwork him over 15 minutes to claim a big win for his record and send Lawler into the sunset on his back.
PICK – Niko Price via Decision
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