UFC 290 Press Conference: Volkanovksi Wants To Stay Active

UFC 290 press conference finally happened and it was a fun set up for a great event. International fight week rarely disappoints, but this one really feels special. With UFC 290 hosting two title fights, the final fight of Robbie Lawler's emphatic and destructive career, a whole bunch of undefeated fighters and a laundry list of fan favorites, fight fans are spoiled with this one. This UFC press conference had some questions for everyone.

The Volkanovski vs Rodriguez press conference went pretty well. Nothing too out of the norm here, if at all. There was a whole lot of respect on the stage and that Vegas crowd really let the fighters know who they're rooting for and who they aren't vibing with. Moreno and Whittaker remain in the good graces of fans, while fighters like Driscus Du Plessis have yet to find a way to turn face yet. Not that they're really trying too hard. We've got you covered here for your UFC 290 news and press conference review.

Volkanovski vs Rodriguez Press Conference: A Lot Of Mutual Respect Shown

Sep 21, 2019; Mexico City, MEX; Yair Rodriguez (red gloves) fights Jeremy Stephens (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Mexico City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Photo by Icon Sport

Really, how can anyone not respect Alexander Volkanovski or Yair Rodriguez? Volk has a strong case for himself being the best featherweight of all time and many believe that he should be the lightweight champion, too. Then we've got the interim champion; after submitting Josh Emmett within two rounds, Yair could not be denied a title fight. That win, along with his affinity for fun fights, make this UFC 290 main event a can't-miss.

The UFC 290 press conference started with John Morgan(of course) asking the two men on the marquee about one another. Volkanovski was quick to pay respects to Rodriguez and his win to earn this title unification bout:

“Yeah, look, [Rodriguez] looked great. He really did. As I said, he's got a lot of threats and he looked great against Josh Emmett — but I'm not Josh Emmett. I'm the champion of this division and I'm going to show that Saturday night.”

The Volkanovski vs Rodriguez press conference also showed Yair showing his appreciation for the champ when asked if he thought Volkanovski would stand with him:

“The guy is good! He's one of the greatest of all time, and I'm really happy to be facing this guy right here.”

Should Volkanovski win, he's not just satisfied with clearing out the 145;b division. He wants that Islam Makhachev rematch, he wants the lightweight belt and he wants to be active in both division.

UFC 290 Press Conference: Some Heat Between Undefeated Fighters

A big part of the UFC 290 news this week was regarding who Bo Nickal would be fighting. You may not know Val Woodburn now, but everyone will know his name if he's able to get through Bo Nickal on short notice. Originally slated to take on Tresean Gore, Bo Nickal had to adapt fast when things changed. Now, at 7-0 with 5 knockouts, Woodburn is making his debut against the most illustrious wrestler the UFC has seen.

Bo Nickal is quite the finisher, too. So, the fight will definitely be fun, but so was their interaction; things got a bit tense when Woodburn was asked about what it will take to beat Nickal, who is a record setting -2800 favorite:

“This is not my first rodeo. I'm going to go in there and fight this guy. His wrestling doesn't scare me… I feel like I'm the better fighter. You guys don't know me yet but you will on Saturday.”

Nickal responded, showing his gratitude:

“I'm just glad you took the fight, man. Appreciate you stepping in on short notice, it means a lot to me because I put a long camp in. Thank you, bro. Appreciate it.”

Woodburn felt the UFC 290 press conference energy and rode with it, saying:

“Hell yeah, let's have a war, bro! Let's go!”

Nickal shut that down right away, though:

“I don't know about a way, but something's going to happen.”

UFC has it all! Some drama, multiple title fights and all the talent you could ask for. This is an event you can't afford to miss.