Welcome to news.com.au’s live coverage of the blockbuster UFC 290 card.
It’s one of the biggest days in Australian MMA with Alex Volkanovski defending his featherweight belt against Brazilian Yair Rodriguez, while middleweight Rob Whittaker is taking on Dricus Du Plessis inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
UFC 290 | SUN JULY 9: It’s an Aussie Takeover in Vegas for one of biggest fights of the year. UFC Champ Alex Volkanovski takes on Yair Rodriguez and fan favourite Rob Whittaker returns to the Octagon. ORDER ON MAIN EVENT ON KAYO SPORTS >
UFC boss Dana White was asked this week if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should declare a public holiday should all four Aussies on the card come up with victories.
Unfortunately it took just 17 seconds for that hope to be vanquished.
‘Madness’: Aussie star mercilessly crushed
Australian Robert Whittaker wanted a shot to regain his title, but his dream was all but crushed on Sunday.
Whittaker entered his UFC 290 fight as the favourite but Dricus Du Plessis had other ideas and stunned the UFC.
Du Plessis rocked Whittaker late in the opening round before reigning down a barrage of blows in the second to end the contest.
A monster right hand straight down the middle stumbled the Aussie and the South African star took advantage, landing shot after shot before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
“This is absolutely huge,” Daniel Cormier said in commentary.
“Can you believe it?” Jon Anik said in commentary.
“This guy is a tank,” added Joe Rogan.
“He is a really dangerous guy. To do that against a guy like Whittaker is a real wake-up call for the rest of the division.”
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya entered the cage and confronted his rival, bombaring Du Plessis with expletives.
The two look set to lock horns for the title when the UFC heads Down Under to Sydney later in the year.
‘This is insane’: Fight of the night locked in
Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner have just delivered an absolute war inside the cage, leaving fight fans in utter disbelief.
After a solid opening round between the pair, it was the second round when things exploded.
Turner delivered a flush left high kick that landed clean on the jaw of Hooker, but the Kiwi star ate the shot.
He then took control of the fight as he unleashed a barrage of shots on Turner and locked in a rear-naked choke.
If there was another five to ten seconds on the clock, Turner was gone but the bell saved him and pushed the ifght into the third and final round.
Hooker claimed the victory in a split decision call, 29-28 x2, 28-29.
Electric start to UFC 290 main card
For the fourth time in nine fights, a bout has come to an end inside the opening minute.
Bo Nickal needed only 38 seconds to end the fight against Val Woodburn after landing multiple bombs with his left and right hands.
The first right hand wobbled Woodburn before Nickal’s picked him apart and sent him sprawling to the canvas with several hellacious shots.
Aussie pulverised in record 17-second KO
Queenslander Shannon Ross was the unfortunate victim of one of the most brutal knockout strikes in recent memory when he was put to sleep by Jesus Aguilar just 17 seconds into their scrap.
It was the second quickest KO finish ever seen in the flyweight division.
It was all over when Aguilar landed an overhand right, sending the Gold Coast product collapsing to the floor. He was clearly out cold before he even hit the canvas.
Aguilar’s knockout is second to only Dustin Ortiz, who knocked out Hector Sandoval in only 15 seconds in 2017.
“One of the bigger knockouts of the year, a one shot stunner,” commentator Jon Anik screamed.
The shot was so crisp that Aguilar elected not to go and land further strikes as Ross was lying on the ground, despite the referee being dangerously slow to step in and end the contest.
It was a scary moment as Ross appeared in distress while lying on the floor for several minutes, but he was able to get to his feet and was able to sit up on his stool and was eventually able to walk out of the Octagon.
‘Ruthless’ goes out with fairy-tale KO
Robbie Lawler has walked into retirement with a 38-second knockout win over Niko Price in a result that blew the roof off the T-Mobile Arena.
The 41-year-old finished his career with his seventh knockout win in the UFC in a perfect result after a career that spanned two decades.
The former welterweight champion was visibly emotional as it sunk in after the contest was stopped. The crowd was chanting his name as he took a knee inside the Octagon for the final time.
The result left the ESPN commentary blown away.
“What a way to go. There are no fairytales in fighting. Robbie Lawler just did it,” Daniel Cormier said.
“He is a guy that doesn’t usually show anything, so to see him take a knee and the emotion that just comes across his body right now, it’s insane.”
The fight world erupted in congratulatory messages.
Stephen Thompson posted on Twitter: “OH MY GOODNES!!!! LET’S GOOOO ROBBIE! TAKE IT ALL IN MY FRIEND.”
Michael Chiesa wrote: “It just got dusty inside of T-Mobile arena. What an amazing ending to such a storied career. Congrats @Ruthless_RL and thank you for the amazing fights.”
Dustin Poirier wrote: “Wow! The Ruthless one!”.
Aussie star appears to retire after tough loss
Jimmy Crute was an absolutely devastated figure after his brutal loss at the hands of Alonso Menifield.
The Aussie was trapped in a guillotine hold in the second round after attempting a take down and was eventually forced to tap out.
It was a difficult loss for Crute, whose career is at a crossroads after a run of three defeats and one draw from his past four fights.
The 27-year-old even made a display that his career may already be over in the seconds that followed his tap-out.
The emotionally crushed fighter removed his gloves after the fight and placed them at the center of the Octagon, which typically signifies that a fighter is retiring. But his cornermen immediately picked up the gloves.
He also kneeled in front of the crowd, but he is yet to confirm if he is walking away or not.
UFC 290 MAIN CARD RESULTS
Alex Volkanovski vs Yair Rodiguez – featherweight title
Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja – flyweight
Dricus Du Plessis def. Robert Whittaker via TKO, Round 2
Dan Hooker def. Jalin Turner via split decision
Bo Nickal def. Val Woodburn via KO, Round 1
PRELIMS
Robbie Lawler def. Niko Price via KO, Round 1
Denise Gomes def. Yazmin Jauregui via TKO, Round 2
Alonzo Menifield def. Jimmy Crute via submission (guillotine), Round 2
EARLY PRELIMS
Jesus Aguilar def. Shannon Ross via KO, Round 1
Cameron Saaiman def. Terrence Mitchell via TKO, Round 1