Volkanovski vs. Lopes: Title Rematch Headlines UFC 325
The highly anticipated rematch for the featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will headline 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. It will be Volkanovski’s first appearance in 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 defeated Lopes by unanimous decision. The fight was close, with judges’ scorecards of 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45. Lopes secured the immediate rematch after knocking out Jean Silva in September. The announcement left several featherweight contenders out of the equation, particularly Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, who expressed their opinions on social media.Evloev offered Murphy a fight in early 2026 to secure the next title fight.“Missing the opportunity to fight one of the [GOATS] of featherweight is what hurts me the most,” Murphy wrote on X. “It’s no longer about who is the best. It’s about who is more popular.”
Lerone Murphy
According to UFC rankings, Evloev and Murphy are ranked number 1 and 4 in the division, respectively. Lopes is ranked number 2.“Leon Murphy, I will give you the opportunity to fight the number one contender,” Evloev wrote. “Tell your people you are ready to fight me on the same card as the championship.”
Movsar Evloev
