Alexander Volkanovski shuts down Diego Lopes. On January 31 at UFC 325 main event, Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes via unanimous decision after a dominant five-round performance.
On Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes met again in the main event of UFC 325. It was a rematch for the UFC featherweight title that delivered action, drama, and plenty of storylines going into the fight. Volkanovski had lost two tough fights, most notably a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria
in February 2024 that cost him the featherweight title and raised questions about his place at the top of the division. But he responded in spectacular fashion at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, where he defeated Diego Lopes by unanimous decision to reclaim the vacant featherweight championship. The three judges scored it 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46 in his favour. That win snapped his losing skid.
Since that victory, Volkanovski hadn’t fought again until this Sydney rematch.
Diego Lope also arrived in Sydney with momentum after bouncing back from his first title loss.
Lopes is known for his finishes but lost to Volkanovski at UFC 314 in April 2025 when he challenged for the featherweight belt. Although he was knocked down during that fight and ultimately lost the decision, he showed toughness and skill across five rounds. Rather than fade after that setback, Lopes returned in September 2025 at Noche UFC and put on one of the most dramatic performances of the year. He knocked out Jean Silva in the second round via a spinning back elbow and follow-up strikes, earning both Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses for his spectacular finish. That win, which came at 4:48 of Round 2, reminded fans of his power and finishing ability and helped him secure the rematch at UFC 325.
Before his loss to Volkanovski, Lopes had put together a strong run in the UFC, including decision wins over well-known featherweights like Brian Ortega and Dan Ige, and a first-round KO over Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300.
The fight started with the two fighters working to find the distance. Volkanovski moved around, stopping Lopes from closing the cage then Lopes threw a stepping body kick and Volkanovski answered with an inside leg kick and then shot in fast for a takedown, Lopes defended it and fired back a right hand but Volkanovski landed a sharp right and Volkanovski answered with a looping left. Both fighters showed respect and did not rush into combinations then continued.
Volkanovski landed another inside leg kick and stayed patient then kept attacking Lopes’ leg. Volkanovski landed a jab. He went deep on another takedown and tried to trip him, but Lopes stayed strong on his feet. Volkanovski threw short shots inside while pressing Lopes against the fence. Lopes escaped with less than a minute left in the first round.
Round 2 started and Volkanovski controlled much of the action with movement, speed, and clean striking. He circled well, landed repeated inside leg kicks, sharp jabs, and effective combinations, while avoiding most of Lopes’ offense. Lopes had moments with hard kicks and brief flurries, but Volkanovski consistently landed the cleaner shots. A late takedown attempt from Lopes led to a brief guillotine scare from Volkanovski before the round ended, with no finish.
Round 3 started with leg kicks from Lopes. He landed some body jabs, leg kicks, and a light right hand. Volkanovski replied with sharp jabs and clean right hands, and he then tried to wrestle at times but
Volkanovski landed the clearer punches and controlled the distance better. Near the end of the round, Lopes landed a counter that dropped Volkanovski to one knee, which made things interesting. Volkanovski recovered quickly and got back to his feet to continue. Volkanovski’s corner said he slipped in the last round, but the replay showed Lopes clearly knocked him down.
In Round 4, Volkanovski stayed very active with his jab and sharp right hands. Lopes landed leg kicks and a body kick, but he kept getting caught by Volkanovski’s right hand.
Volkanovski then landed several clean shots, including a left hook, and looked more accurate overall. Lopes tried to push forward and landed a good right and later a strong left, but Volkanovski answered back each time Lopes tried to overcome him. The crowd chanted Volkanovski’s name as he continued to counter well. There was a low blow from a Volkanovski kick, causing a short break. When they resumed, Volkanovski stayed calm, avoided big shots, and kept landing jabs. The round was competitive, but Volkanovski did the cleaner work in the round.
The final round came and Volkanovski stayed calm and moved well. He scored a takedown early, but Lopes quickly locked in a guillotine, forcing Volkanovski to escape. Lopes landed a clean knee as they separated and then Volkanovski answered with a counter punch and another takedown attempt, looking to take Lopes’ back, but Lopes defended well. The grappling exchanges continued as both fighters scrambled. Lopes reversed position and hit a big takedown, trying to secure Volkanovski’s back. Volkanovski stayed strong, carried Lopes, and stopped the back control as they battled along the fence with under two minutes left, before Volkanovski reversed again and put himself in control. Lopes made a final push, attacking with a kimura and then switching to an armbar, refusing to settle for a decision loss. Volkanovski defended, stacked him, escaped, and finished the fight on top. He stayed heavy, landed a few punches, and controlled the position until the final horn, sealing the win.
When it was over, the judges scored the contest 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 with Volkanovski getting the nod and a second straight victory over Lopes.
“It ain’t getting any easier,” Volkanovski joked after the win. “Camp was a lot of things going on in there. We pushed through. Sometimes things go wrong but I’m like let’s go, that’s more of a challenge. It fires me up even more. I didn’t want to stand for 25 minutes, I’ll be honest. But we got the job done so it’s all good.”
“We’re ready for him to make the right adjustments. Our last fight, we moved to the right and we did a good job cutting that off straight away. I make the adjustments. That’s what makes a true champion. You’ve got guys that are talented, they’ve got all this stuff. But it’s all the stuff, everyone that has the grit, the determination, hard work, sacrifice, make the adjustments on the fly, stay composed in the fire. I’ve got them all.”
