The vacant featherweight title is on the line at UFC 314 this weekend, as Alexander Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes – after Paddy Pimblett fights Michael Chandler in a must-watch co-main event.
Volkanovski is aiming to become a two-time champion, having not fought since he lost the belt with a knockout by Ilia Topuria last February. But with Topuria relinquishing the gold two months ago, as he prepares to move up to lightweight, a new champion is needed at 145lb. With that, former long-reigning king Volkanovski will face Lopes.
Lopes, 30, enters Miami on a five-fight win streak, and the key question is whether the Mexican-Brazilian’s brawling style can test Volkanovski’s chin, which some fans feel has weakened courtesy of KOs by Topuria and Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski is no doubt the tidier fighter, however, and that skillset saw the Australian, 36, record five successful title defences between 2020 and 2023.
