Volkanovski vs. Lopes: Title Rematch Headlines UFC 325
The highly anticipated rematch for the featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will be the main event of UFC 325, according to UFC CEO Dana White. The fight for the 145-pound championship will take place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. This will mark Volkanovski’s return to his home country, Australia, since his failed attempt for the lightweight title against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in February 2023 in Perth. Volkanovski, seeking his second consecutive title defense, will face Lopes. In their previous encounter at UFC 314 in April, Volkanovski won by unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45. Lopes secured the rematch by knocking out Jean Silva in September.The announcement left several featherweight contenders waiting, especially Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. Murphy expressed his feelings on social media. Evloev offered Murphy the opportunity to face each other in early 2026 to secure a title opportunity. According to UFC rankings, Evloev and Murphy are ranked number 1 and 4 in the division, respectively. Lopes is ranked number 2.Losing the opportunity to fight one of the best featherweights is what hurts me the most.
Lerone Murphy
