Alexander Volkanovski faces Diego Lopes in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 325, set for tonight. Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision victory over Lopes nine months ago, reclaiming the UFC featherweight title he lost to Ilia Topuria in February 2024.
Fight Background
The initial clash served as the main event of UFC 314 in April 2025, where both fighters delivered a stunning five-round performance. Many experts anticipated Volkanovski’s next defense against top contenders like Lerone Murphy or Movsar Evloev. However, UFC CEO Dana White selected Lopes for the rematch, following Lopes’ impressive stoppage win against Jean Silva in a gritty battle.
Volkanovski stands as one of the most accomplished featherweight champions, capturing the 145lbs belt from Max Holloway in 2019. He successfully defended it four times before challenging for the lightweight title against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, where he fell short. The 37-year-old reasserted his dominance with a win over Yair Rodriguez but endured knockout losses to Makhachev and Topuria. Now, he aims to solidify his status by defeating Lopes again.
Date and Viewing Details
UFC 325 occurs on Sunday, February 1, for audiences in the UK and Australia, while it aligns with January 31 in the US due to time zones. The event takes place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, Australia’s premier indoor venue.
Viewers in the US can stream all bouts on Paramount+ with a standard subscription. In the UK, the card airs live on TNT Sports, with ongoing updates available throughout the night.
Event Timings
Early prelims kick off at 9:30pm GMT (4:30pm ET, 8:30am AEDT), followed by regular prelims at 11:30pm GMT (6:30pm ET, 10:30am AEDT). The main card begins at 2am GMT (9pm ET, 1pm AEDT), with Volkanovski and Lopes expected to enter the octagon around 4am GMT (11pm ET, 3pm AEDT), subject to preceding fights.
Upcoming UFC Schedule
UFC Fight Night 266 – February 7, UFC Apex, Las Vegas
- Mario Bautista vs Vinicius Oliveira – Bantamweight
- Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi – Flyweight
- Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Marc-Andre Barriault – Middleweight
- Jean Matsumoto vs Farid Basharat – Bantamweight
UFC Fight Night 267 – February 21, Toyota Center, Houston
- Sean Strickland vs Anthony Hernandez – Middleweight
- Serghei Spivac vs Ante Delija – Heavyweight
- Dan Ige vs Melquizael Costa – Featherweight
- Zachary Reese vs Michel Pereira – Middleweight
UFC Fight Night 268 – February 28, Arena CDMX, Mexico City
- Brandon Moreno vs Asu Almabayev – Flyweight
- Edgar Chairez vs Felipe Bunes – Flyweight
- Marlon Vera vs David Martinez – Bantamweight
- Imanol Rodriguez vs Kevin Borjas – Flyweight
UFC 326 – March 7, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
- Max Holloway (c) vs Charles Oliveira 2 – Lightweight
- Renato Moicano vs Brian Ortega – Lightweight
- Caio Borralho vs Reinier de Ridder – Middleweight
- Gregory Rodrigues vs Brunno Ferreira – Middleweight
- Cody Garbrandt vs Xiao Long – Bantamweight
Full Fight Card
(Subject to change)
Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs Diego Lopes 2 – UFC Featherweight Championship
Dan Hooker vs Benoit Saint Denis – Lightweight
Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy – Lightweight
Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira – Heavyweight
Quillan Salkilld vs Jamie Mullarkey – Lightweight
Preliminary Card
- Junior Tafa vs Billy Elekana – Light Heavyweight
- Cam Rowston vs Cody Brundage – Middleweight
- Jacob Malkoun vs Torrez Finney – Middleweight
- Jonathan Micallef vs Oban Elliot – Welterweight
Season 4 Road to UFC Final Matchups
- Kaan Ofli vs Yizha – Featherweight
- Kim Sang-wook vs Dom Mar Fan – Lightweight
- Keiichiro Nakamura vs Sebastian Szalay – Featherweight
- Sulangrangbo vs Lawrence Lui – Bantamweight
Fighter Insights
Volkanovski addressed the title shot selection on his YouTube channel, commenting on why Lopes earned the opportunity over Evloev and Murphy. “UFC really wanted Lopes, but at least everyone knows they’re in for a treat,” he stated. “With Movsar [Evloev] and Lerone [Murphy], they’re more deserving, but are they going to bring the fight like Lopes would? I think the fans are going to appreciate the fight that me and Lopes are going to have.”
