UFC 290 fight card: Matchups likely to take place at the July pay-per-view event

UFC 290 is set to go down on July 8 and will be part of the 11th edition of the promotion's annual International Fight Week, which is set to take place from July 3 to July 9 in Las Vegas. The week-long festivities will include the UFC 290 pay-per-view event, the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and the fully immersive and interactive two-day UFC X fan experience.

As rumors swirl around high-profile bouts at International Fight Week, insider reports suggest that Jon Jones, who recently became the new heavyweight champion, could defend his title against former champion Stipe Miocic. This will mark Jones' first title defense since overtaking Alexander Volkanovski as the UFC's No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter.

Interestingly, sources suggest that the top two-ranked fighters, Jones and Volkanovski, could possibly compete on the UFC 290 card.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports Australia, Volkanovski’s manager Ash Belcastro revealed that 'The Great' is definitely keen on defending his featherweight belt against interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290:

"Alex wants to fight in June or July, and we’d love to headline International Fight Week... We’d also have no problem co-headlining with Jones, either."

On the flipside, 'El Pantera' will look to become the third undisputed Mexican-born champion in promotional history, joining current flyweight champions Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso.

The pay-per-view in July will reportedly also see surging prospect Bo Nickal face fellow middleweight, Tresean Gore. Gore recently revealed that the pair have agreed to compete on the card.

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UFC 290 fight card: Kevin Lee vs. Tony Ferguson reportedly in the works for July pay-per-view event

Kevin Lee recently re-signed with the UFC, and it seems the 'Motown Phenom' wants to avenge his loss to Tony Ferguson in October 2017.

Lee revealed that he will return to the octagon and compete in the welterweight division, despite having huge success at lightweight during his first run in the UFC. While several names have been mentioned for his next fight, it seems 'El Cucuy' is one that particularly appeals to him.

In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Kevin Lee disclosed that negotiations are ongoing for a matchup between him and Ferguson, with UFC 290 on July 8 being the most likely date and destination:

"It's looking like we're gonna do Tony. Me and Tony Ferguson, a lot of people are calling for that fight, they wanna see the rematch. I feel like it's gonna right a whole bunch of wrongs that happened in 2017... I think it's a great fight for the UFC... I think it's only right that we run it back. We're gonna do International Fight Week is what I'm hearing."