UFC 314: Aussie great Alexander Volkanovski defies age and adversity to beat Lopes, reclaiming the featherweight crown in Miami.
Volkanovski silences doubters with gutsy UFC title fight
Alexander Volkanovski has etched his name deeper into MMA history, reclaiming the UFC featherweight title with a gritty unanimous decision win over Brazil’s Diego Lopes at UFC 314 in Miami.
After more than a year out and two consecutive knockout losses, the 36-year-old Australian delivered a defiant performance to silence critics and break one of the UFC’s most daunting title fight curses.
Volkanovski became the first fighter over 35 to win a UFC championship at 155lbs or below — ending an 0-17 streak for fighters in that age bracket.
The judges scored the bout 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 in Volkanovski’s favor, as he outpointed Lopes across five brutal rounds despite suffering compromised vision from a second-round uppercut that nearly closed his right eye.
“This is the kind of stuff they write books about,” Volkanovski told the Miami crowd post-fight.
“Adversity is a privilege… it’s good to be back.”
Volkanovski’s relentless jab, clinical footwork and fight IQ proved too much for the aggressive Lopes, who walked through heavy strikes all night but couldn’t shift the momentum with the top online sportsbooks pricing him as the -121.95 favorite.
The Aussie landed 158 significant strikes to Lopes’ 63, showing composure even after being rocked midway through the contest.
Former champion Israel Adesanya revealed Volkanovski lost sight in one eye during the third round. “What a champ… he did that with one eye,” Adesanya said on Main Event.
The main event earned Fight of the Night honours and capped off a stacked card. Paddy Pimblett claimed the co-main event with a third-round TKO of Michael Chandler, while Jean Silva secured a Performance of the Night bonus for choking out Bryce Mitchell in a high-stakes featherweight bout.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed UFC 314 drew 18,287 fans and generated a $11.5 million gate — one of the highest in Kaseya Center history.
Volkanovski, now the first two-time featherweight champion in UFC history, improves to 14-3 in the promotion and has put himself in line for defenss against Mosvar Evloev or Yair Rodriguez, the latter calling for a rematch after defeating Patricio Pitbull earlier on the card.
Even rapper Drake broke his infamous betting curse, walking away with a $915,600 payout after backing Volkanovski with a $545,000 wager.
For Volk, the win doesn’t just restore his title — it cements his status as one of the greatest featherweights the sport has ever seen.
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