Everything you need to know for Whittaker vs. Du Plessis at UFC 290

UFC 290 is set to get going this weekend from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, July 8 at 10 p.m. ET. There is a five-bout main card highlighted by a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez. Also notable on the main card is a middleweight fight between #2 Robert Whittaker and #5 Dricus Du Plessis.

Whittaker (24-2) needs no introduction, he has been dominant against everyone not named Israel Adesanya in the middleweight division. The 32-year-old uses an orthodox stance, has a 73” reach along with 42% striking accuracy while averaging 4.4 strikes per minute. In his latest bout, he defeated Marvin Vettori by way of unanimous decision last September. The 11-year veteran is eyeing yet another title challenge with a victory.

Plessis (19-2) has not lost since September 2019 and has reeled off 5 straight wins following his UFC debut in October 2020. In his last fight, Plessis walked away with a second-round TKO win over Derek Brunson at UFC 285 in March. Accumulating wins over Darren Till, Brad Tavares, and Trevin Giles en route to a top 5 standing in the division, Plessis now faces his toughest challenge yet.

How to watch Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis

Date: Saturday, July 8
Fight time: Main card starts at 10 p.m. ET
Live stream: ESPN+ PPV

DraftKings Sportsbook Odds/Predictions

Whittaker: -410
Du Plessis: +310

Splits: 74% of handle, 79% of bets on Whittaker

The public is siding with Whittaker and it’s hard not to agree. We know his inability to conquer Adesanya and your average fan would like to see a new challenger, but expect the big fight DNA of Whittaker to take over in this one. Plessis won’t make it easy as his 76” reach and 55% striking accuracy will keep Whittaker entertained, but a KO win (-110) from “The Reaper’ seems likely.