The UFC announced on Friday that former champion Robert Whittaker will face Dricus Du Plessis in a No.1 contender matchup for the middleweight division at UFC 290 in July. The winner of the fight between Whittaker and Du Plessis will face 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya later this year, with the fight likely to take place in Sydney. UFC President Dana White posted a video on social media to announce the fight.
Lawler vs. Price and Hooker vs. Turner
In addition to the middleweight matchup, White also announced a welterweight fight between former champion Robbie Lawler and Niko Price, as well as a lightweight bout between Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner for UFC 290.
Whittaker and Du Plessis
Whittaker has a 12-0 record in the UFC’s middleweight division against anyone other than Adesanya. He has lost twice to Adesanya since 2019, but he is keen on a trilogy fight. The Australian contender is coming off a win over Marvin Vettori in September. On the other hand, Du Plessis, of South Africa, has a record of 5-0 in the UFC since his debut in 2020. He has picked up wins over the likes of Darren Till and Derek Brunson, and Adesanya has recently expressed interest in fighting him. Both Whittaker and Du Plessis were born in Africa.
Featherweight Title Fight
UFC 290 will also feature a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez. The event will take place on July 8 in Las Vegas, inside the T-Mobile Arena.
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