Alexander Volkanovski is Set to Return to Action at UFC 314 For the Vacant Featherweight Title Against Diego Lopes
Last night UFC president Dana White took to Instagram Live making a series of announcements. Firstly and arguably most importantly Alexander Volkanovski is back in the title picture.
UFC 314 in Miami, Florida is headlined by Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes for the vacant 145 lb title. This comes as White announced that Topuria has “cemented his legacy” at Featherweight and will be moving up to Lightweight.
The boss added that Topuria feels he can no longer make 145 lbs, which could mean there is a super-fight on the horizon. In recent months Topuria and Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev have exchanged blows on social media.
Both men have shared how they feel a fight between them would go, with neither praising one another. Despite not having an official announcement yet, it would seem Topuria v Makhachev is next to come.
This comes as a surprise to many as it seemed Ilia Topuria was going to grant Volkanvoski a rematch. But with the year-long hiatus from the sport, Volkanovski will be raring to get back in there and aim to reclaim his title.
Alexander Volkanovski will fight Diego Lopes who took the UFC by storm in 2024. Although losing on Dana Whites Contender Series in 2021, Diego went away dug deep and when a short-notice replacement fight against undefeated Movsar Evloev emerged, he grabbed it with both hands.
Lopes lost the fight but made a good name for himself testing the seemingly unstoppable Evloev. Since then he’s amassed a five-fight win streak staking his claim atop the roster.
UFC 314 Co-Main Event: Paddy The Baddy is Back
The fight announcements did not stop there with Dana White announcing the awaited return of Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett. The scouse sensation has teased that he has a top opponent up next but was yet to announce.
In the UFC 314 co-main event Pimblett will face “Iron” Michael Chandler, in the biggest fight of his career. Undefeated in the UFC Paddy has put together a 6 fight win streak, most recently submitting King Green at UFC 304.
For all his losses Chandler can never be counted out, never shying away from a bloodbath. Chandler most recently rematched Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, a fight he lost by unanimous decision.
With the high-calibre experience of Chandler, this fight is Paddy’s chance to break into the top of the division. With the return of Alexander Volkanovski and Paddy Pimblett on one card, UFC 314 is bound to garner lots of attention.
The latest additions leave UFC 314 as follows:
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes – [vacant Featherweight title]
- Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
- Patricio Freire vs. Yair Rodriguez
- Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates
- Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes
- Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
- Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan
- Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller
- Alberto Montes vs. Roberto Romero
- Su Mudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
- Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
- Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
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