Alexander Volkanovski returned to the summit of the UFC on Saturday night in Miami against Diego Lopes.
Legendary former champion Volkanovski was given one last shot at reclaiming the title in the main event of UFC 314 against the surging Lopes. Ilia Topuria won the title by knocking out the Aussie, but after defending against Max Holloway last year he has moved up to lightweight and vacated the belt.
Lopes had won all but one of his efforts in the UFC heading into fight night, emerging as a fan favorite for his exciting fight style. But the former champion was given a hero’s welcome as he returned to the octagon for the first time in 14 months.
As the first bell sounded, the Topuria era at featherweight came to an end as Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes began in tentative early exchanges. The pair hadn’t promised the excitement of Pimblett and Chandler earlier in the night, and didn’t go for it from the first bell.
However, about a minute and a half in they did finally exchange much to the delight of the capacity Miami crowd. And by the end of the opening stanza, the Australian was showing vintage Volkanovski as he put down Lopes and cut him open on the ground.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The second was another masterclass from the former champion, showing that he very much still ‘has it’ at the world level. He found his rhythm perfectly and send his rival flying across the octagon with the one big counter punch he landed about four minutes through the round.
However, with seconds to go until the buzzer, Lopes caught Volkanovski with a massive shot. He sent the former champion to the canvas in his own right in a moment that threatened to change the momentum of the fight.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
A dominant third was followed by a close fourth where Lopes scored a big right hand that clearly troubled the former champion. They exchanged a lot and were both bleeding as they headed back to the corner for the fifth.
As they moved into the fifth, Volkanovski appeared to still be unsure of his eyesight and it was not a guarantee that he would coast to a decision win. Ultimately, he did just enough, winning 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on another to reclaim the belt.
While the night was undeniably stolen by Paddy Pimblett’s stunning and dominant victory over Michael Chandler in the co-main event, there’s no doubt the story of Saturday night was the 145lb division.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull finally made the walk under the UFC banner, but was put to the sword by Yair Rodriguez. The Mexican has called for the next shot at the belt, even naming UFC 320 in Mexico as the ideal spot for such an outing.
Earlier in the night, Jean Silva announced himself as a legitimate contender with a brutal submission win over Bryce Mitchell in a grudge fight months in the making. Silva choked the controversial American unconscious to earn himself a ranking and confirm himself as a top contender at 145lb.
Alexander VolkanovskiDiego LopesFeatherweightIlia TopuriaUFCUFC 314
