UFC 290: Five talking points from event in Las Vegas

Volkanovski has never lost at featherweight during his 11-year career

Alexander Volkanovski cemented his spot as the featherweight king, defending his belt for the fifth time against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 in Las Vegas.

Australia's Volkanovski, 34, outclassed the dangerous Rodriguez to secure a third-round stoppage, prompting many to again raise the question: "Is he the greatest featherweight of all time?"

Elsewhere, two UFC title bouts were set up, Dan Hooker won with a broken arm and Robbie Lawler brought his distinguished career to a close.

BBC Sport explores five talking points from the event at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada.

'Volk is a GOAT at 145 pounds'

It wasn't that Volkanovski won, it was how he did it.

Mexican Rodriguez's unorthodox, flamboyant style was seen by many as a danger to Volkanovski's featherweight reign. Even the champion admitted he felt "fear" while training for the bout.

But Volkanovski largely nullified Rodriguez's threat in the stand-up, taking the fight to the ground multiple times to impose his dominance by beating him down and securing the win.

His victory came just 48 hours after former featherweight champion and all-time great Jose Aldo was inducted into the hall of fame.

Volkanovski now has five featherweight title defences in the UFC to Aldo's seven, but beat the Brazilian when they fought in 2019.

Volkanovski said it was for others to decide who was the greatest.

"The man's just gone in the UFC Hall of Fame. I'm not here to try and take it," said Volkanovski.

"He's an absolute legend. No-one deserves it more than him. The raw emotion when he went in there, it brought a tear to my eye."

UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson is on Volkanovski's side.

He tweeted: "Volk is a GOAT at 145. Calm, cool, calculated. Would love to see him against the talent at 155!"

UFC president Dana White said Volkanovski "put on an unbelievable performance", is "an absolute freak" and "incredibly talented".

Volkanovski also reiterated his intention for a rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who beat him in February, in an attempt to become a double champion.

"We all know I want that lightweight belt, I want that Islam fight," said Volkanovski.

"It's a massive fight for the UFC as well. It's a fight everyone wants to see. It was that close, very high level. He lived up to the hype, I lived up to the hype and the fight lived up to the hype."

Du Plessis sets up Adesanya title fight

Adesanya (left) is a two-time middleweight champion

The bout between South Africa's Dricus du Plessis and Australian Robert Whittaker was seen by many as a middleweight title eliminator.

In Whittaker, Du Plessis was facing a former champion who is ranked second in the division, yet he came out on top in emphatic fashion with a second-round stoppage.

But he didn't have time to celebrate for long.

Watching with an intense, mean look on his face was champion Israel Adesanya, who then joined Du Plessis for a face-off.

Du Plessis and Adesanya have exchanged unsavoury words previously, which prompted a heated confrontation inside the octagon, separated by security.

The bout between the pair is likely to take place at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia on 10 September.

Hooker fights through the pain

White said in his post-fight news conference Dan Hooker's gruelling back-and-forth contest with Jalin Turner was the fight of the night, until Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja eclipsed it two bouts later.

American Turner out-struck Hooker in the first round, before the New Zealander fought back in an incredible second round.

After surviving Turner's best shots, including a thudding head kick, Hooker gained the momentum, unleashing some pummelling strikes before almost ending the fight on the ground with a rear-naked choke.

But what we didn't know until White revealed it after the fight, was Hooker broke his arm in the second round, before somehow battling through the pain to secure a decision win in the third.

An X-ray uploaded by Hooker to Twitter after the fight showed the extent of the damage.

Ouch...

A fairytale ending for Lawler

Retirement fights don't usually have a happy ending for MMA fighters, but Robbie Lawler became one of the few to end their careers on a high as he knocked out Nico Price in stunning fashion.

Just two days after being inducted into the Hall of Fame for his epic battle with Rory McDonald in 2015, American Lawler, 41, rolled back the years as he knocked out Nico Price in only 38 seconds.

A former welterweight champion, Lawler brings the curtain down on a distinguished 22-year career which has brought 30 wins from 47 fights.

"It's amazing. I've had a long career and a lot of people helped me get to where I am. Without them none of this is possible. I'm blessed and grateful," said Lawler.

Jones to defend heavyweight title against Miocic

It's official - Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295.

The bout, announced by UFC president White on Friday, is being billed as the "greatest in history" against the "greatest ever heavyweight", and will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on 11 November.

Former light-heavyweight champion Jones, widely regarded as the best of all time, defeated Ciryl Gane in March for the heavyweight belt, while Miocic hasn't fought since losing to Francis Ngannou more than two years ago.

Miocic, 40, is a former two-time champion, and will have the chance to equal Randy Couture's record of winning the title three times.

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