Referee, judging assignments set for UFC 290 championship title fights

The upcoming UFC 290 pay-per-view (PPV) event will feature the featherweight title fight between reigning 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski and current interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez. In the championship co-headliner, Brandon Moreno returns to defend his flyweight title against longtime 125-pound rival Alexandre Pantoja.

The action gets underway on July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Referee Herb Dean will be the third man inside the cage for the Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez main event, with judges Mike Bell, Ron McCarthy, and Sal D’Amato scoring the action from cageside. Prior to that, Referee Jason Herzog will complement judges Ben Cartlidge, Junichiro Kamijo, and Derek Cleary for the Moreno vs. Pantoja scrap.

That’s according to a report from MMA Fighting.

“I’m looking at him as a real challenger, like he’s a dangerous fighter,” Volkanovski told The Mac Life. “He could be one of the most dangerous fighters I’ve fought really. When you talk about unpredictability and knockout power and so many different tools, you need to take him really serious. I think I’m the best fighter in the world, so am I confident? Yeah, but I know not to take this guy lightly. He’s been dominating and looking good in his last few fights.”

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 290 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+/ABC at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 290: “Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.