Diego Lopes Confident in Featherweight Title Win Over Alexander Volkanovski
The MMA world was upended on February 19th when Ilia Topuria announced that he was vacating his Featherweight title to move to Lightweight. This sets up the possibility of a mouthwatering super-fight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev. It also creates a power vacuum at Featherweight. We will have to wait for clarity on Topuria’s next move, but Dana White wasted no time announcing what comes next for the 145-pound division. The new champion will be crowned at UFC 314 in a high-level collision between the red-hot Diego Lopes and long-reigning former champion and former pound-for-pound #1 Alexander Volkanovski.
The match-up isn’t surprising, as both were on the short list of Topuria’s potential challengers. Lopes and Volkanovski are undoubtedly two of the best fighters in the division, and the opening odds for the fight cast it as nearly a coin flip. However, Diego Lopes himself seems supremely confident as to how his first title bout will unfold.
Diego Lopes Gives Optimistic Outlook
Following the announcement, Lopes took to X to share his thoughts on the upcoming fight. In the post, he gave full assurance that he would become the new champion.
“I have worked like no one else in recent years, I have accepted challenges and dares that the UFC has put in front of me, I have said yes in every situation, even when it was not favorable for me. In less than 2 years within the UFC I will have my opportunity for the title. I will not fail. Dream, believe and make it happen. #AndNew“
Nobody can question his work ethic or his willingness to take on all comers. It’s no surprise that he emphasizes it as a point of pride. That warrior mentality has been crucial in boosting his popularity with fans over the past 2 years. In that span, Lopes has rattled off five straight victories over increasingly stern competition, rebounding vigorously from his Fight of the Night decision loss to undefeated Movsar Evloev in 2023. Most recently, Lopes handily outclassed Brian Ortega last September at UFC 306, nearly finishing Ortega in Round 1 and then out-landing him 113-69 en route to a unanimous clean sweep of all three rounds. The performance left no doubt that he is ready to take on the very best the division has to offer.
The Old Guard Standing Sentinel
Diego Lopes seems to have all the tools needed to take the belt. However, he must overcome the toughest test of his career to actualize his dreams. Alexander Volkanovski has had a rough go as of late, with a 1-3 record in his last four fights dating back to early 2023. That raw data is a bit misleading, though, and it is important to remember the full context.
Volkanovski is perhaps the most accomplished Featherweight in MMA history. He had an undefeated streak spanning nearly a full decade from 2013 to 2023, including 12 straight wins in the UFC, 5 UFC title fight wins, and a victory over long-time terror Jose Aldo. Alexander “The Great” was considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world for stretches of 2022 and ’23.
He suffered his first loss in 10 years when he moved up to Lightweight to challenge Islam Makhachev for the title. It was a hair’s-breadth decision loss in a back-and-forth war that was largely considered Fight of the Year. He then defended his Featherweight title with a TKO of the dangerous Yair Rodriguez before challenging Makhachev again on short notice and losing by 1st round KO. Ilia Topuria proceeded to hand him his first loss at Featherweight in 11 years and the first back-to-back losses of his career.
High Stakes for Diego Lopes and Alexander Volkanovski
The championship clash between Lopes and Volkanovski will answer a lot of questions about both fighters. Volkanovski hasn’t had much success lately, but is he over the hill and winding down? Losing to fellow generational talents Topuria and Makhachev is perhaps not as damning as many believe. After all, everybody else has lost to Topuria and Makhachev as well. Diego Lopes will serve as an excellent barometer to gauge how much Volk has left in the tank.
For his part, Diego Lopes stands to answer the opposite question: not whether he can still compete at a championship level, but whether he is finally ready to do so. Given his recent form, it’s hard not to share his optimism. He most certainly can win, and win or lose we can all look forward to him giving Volkanovski as much as he can handle. Only time will tell whether his dream manifests into reality.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
