Alexander Volkanovski returns to the featherweight division when he battles the always-exciting Yair Rodriguez in a title unification clash in the UFC 290 headliner on Saturday night. Will the Aussie put on another masterclass like he did against the likes of Max Holloway and The Korean Zombie? Or will Rodriguez shock the world and inflict Volkanovski's first defeat at 145 pounds? It's a tough fight to predict for fans and media like, let alone the fighters themselves.

But with that said, who are the top UFC fighters predicting to come out on top in this featherweight clash? Here's a look at some of the most prominent MMA names and who they're predicting to win between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290.

Which fighters are predicting Alexander Volkanovski to win?

Unsurprisingly, many are picking Volkanovski to remain undefeated at featherweight and that includes a number of contenders in his division.

UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen:

“I wouldn’t favor him (Yair Rodriguez)…But, he’s like a grenade, ya know. If you wrestle him, he’s got something anywhere. If you hold on to him, he’s throwing elbows. He’s got good submissions. He’s very explosive with his hips. If you sit in his guard, he’s elbowing you, and he’s throwing triangles up. And if you stand in front of him, there’s always a chance of a knee or elbow at any point of the round…

“I wouldn’t want to bet against him. But, it’s hard to bet against Volk. It’s a good fight. Knowing Volkanovski, he’ll probably outwork him… shut him down, and cancel him out. But you’re not gonna not get marked up against him (Yair Rodriguez).”

UFC featherweight contender Ilia Topuria:

“I think Volkanovski's going to hold the belt. I think he will.”

UFC featherweight contender Dan Ige:

“Alex, he's just so dominant as a champion and Yair has the ability to surprise. He's so dynamic and explosive… If I had to pick, I would go with the champ Volk.”

UFC lightweight and former featherweight Renato Moicano:

“[Alexander] Volkanovski gonna beat him in a very, very, very strong demonstration and display of skills… Volkanovski is going over there and beat the s**t out of him. That's are my thoughts.”

UFC flyweight contender Brandon Royval:

“I have to give it to Volk man, he's unstoppable.”

Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen:

“I got Volk, but I think it's going to be close.”

UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker:

“I think Volkanovski. He's one of the best in the division. Not division, one of the best pound-for-pound, the guy is just amazing.”

Which fighters are predicting Yair Rodriguez to win?

While many are going for Volkanovski and with good reason, there are many who also believe Rodriguez is more than capable of giving the champion plenty of trouble. That said, there are only two fighters who believe Rodriguez will get the job done and become the new undisputed featherweight king — and there may be a little Mexican bias involved.

Former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo:

“I know the majority of you guys are going to go with Alexander Volkanovski – I really do. But I think if Yair can really hone in on a lot of stuff that I was talking about – (he’s) just athletically gifted – if he’s able to do it right in that fight, I do believe that Yair Rodriguez is a much different fight than Islam Makhachev, and maybe for that reason I think it’s a lot tougher of a fight because this man’s going to throw a lot more kicks.

“… I don’t know if it’s the whole Brandon Moreno thing or whatever that may be, but either way, if I had to choose somebody to win, to become the new featherweight king, and I’m serious about this, I’m going to have to go with Yair Rodriguez.”

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum:

“I’m not saying this is gonna be easy, I just think Yair’s gonna make it look easy. I hesitated in saying that just because I know it sounds crazy, but I think Yair is gonna make it look easy. I’m not saying it is easy, I’m sure he’s working his freaking ass off right now so that on July 8th he comes out on top as the undisputed featherweight champion of the world and I think he'll do it.

“I just think Yair will be able to capitalize on little deficiencies that Alex might have. Maybe he’s just a little bit faster, maybe he’s able to catch him because of it, maybe he’s just a little bit more flexible, maybe he’s just a little more elusive and he won’t see a kick coming.

“… In my head, I could be wrong, in my head I see Yair winning by a knockout with a kick.”