UFC 290 Update: Whittaker vs. Du Plessis Title Eliminator, 2 Other Fights Added

Put another one together last night!!! @robwhittakermma @dricusduplessis #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/bczWzJo4b6

— danawhite (@danawhite) April 21, 2023

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is going for broke with its yearly fight card at the end of International Fight Week.

The UFC announced on Friday a trio of matchups that will be taking place at UFC 290 on July 8. The promotion annually stages its International Fight Week in Las Vegas with fan events and various other competitions, with the pay-per-view on that Saturday. Thus far, two title fights are booked on the billing, and the main event is still not official. The promotion stated that on the card, Robert Whittaker (24-6) would be taking on Dricus Du Plessis (19-2) in a middleweight title eliminator, with the victor expected to face Israel Adesanya later that year in Sydney, Australia.

“Bobby Knuckles” has been on an absolutely stellar run since his move to 185 pounds in 2014. Racking up 12 wins in the weight class, including an interim belt later upgraded to undisputed, Whittaker lorded over the division for a few years. The only two defeats suffered by the New Zealand native came against Adesanya, with the second encounter at UFC 271 an exceptionally close affair. While serving as a top contender, Whittaker has knocked off the likes of Marvin Vettori, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum as he hovers in the top five of the weight class.

Du Plessis has been a man possessed since debuting with the promotion in 2020. The South African blazed through Markus Perez and Trevin Giles to establish himself in the weight category, and a pairing against Brad Tavares in 2022 led to the first decision of his career, win or lose. “Stillknocks” climbed further up the ladder by tapping Darren Till with an unorthodox face crank in December. Most recently, Du Plessis forced Derek Brunson’s corner to throw in the towel right before the end of Round 2, thereby boosting his stellar finish rate to 95%.

Additionally, the UFC brass broke an additional pair of tilts that will be placed on the lineup. The first comes at lightweight, as men right on the edge of the top 10 in Jalin Turner (13-6) and Dan Hooker (22-12) battle it out. Both competitors have struggled as of late, with Turner dropping a decision in March to Mateusz Gamrot, while Hooker has won once in his last three tries by dispatching Claudio Puelles in November 2022. The other fight takes place at 170 pounds, as former divisional kingpin Robbie Lawler (29-16, 1 NC) throws down with action fighter Niko Price (15-6, 2 NC). Dating back the last few years, Lawler and Price have registered exactly one win apiece, but their stoppage rates both sit above 75% as they remain two of the more exciting competitors in their weight division.

UFC 290 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 8, and the headliner is still not officially on the books. The UFC is placing two championship bouts on the card thus far, with Alexander Volkanovski attempting to unify his featherweight title against interim beltholder Yair Rodriguez, and Brandon Moreno rematching Alexandre Pantoja with the flyweight strap on the line. Other fights announced for the show thus far include a 125-pound banger pitting Deiveson Figueiredo against Manel Kape, and a middleweight showcase when fast-rising Bo Nickal collides with Tresean Gore.