- Itโs official: Alexander Volkanovskiโs next fight will be a rematch against Diego Lopes at the Sydney-hosted UFC 325.
- While the two-time UFC Featherweight champion famously contested the Lightweight title against Islam Makhachev back in 2023, he hasnโt competed in Sydney since 2017.
- UFC 325: Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes II takes place at Qudos Bank Arena on February 1st, 2026.
The UFC is kicking off 2026 in spectacular fashionโฆ especially if youโre an Aussie fight fan.
Just a mere week after Scouser phenom Paddy Pimblett and Justin โThe Highlightโ Gaethje duke it out for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324, Australiaโs own two-time featherweight king and inaugural B.H. Magazine cover star โ Alexander Volkanovski โ will defend his belt in a rematch against Diego Lopes on home soil.
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The last time Volkanovski stepped into the Octagon for an Australian pay-per-view card was during his controversially unsuccessful encounter against Islam Makhachev for the lightweight strap at Perthโs UFC 284, circa 2023. And the last time โThe Greatโ fought in his home state was almost a decade ago against Kiwi brawler Shane Young for Sydneyโs UFC Fight Night: Fabricio Werdum vs Marcin Tybura.
Needless to say, the significance of this announcement cannot be overemphasised. To the point where some pundits have speculated this could very well be the 37-year-old Alexander Volkanovskiโs retirement bout.
โI think Iโve got a couple more fights. If my health is telling me this may not be good โ whether itโs the head or the bodyโs starting to fall apart โ then we can call it a day,โ Volkanovski, whose family apparently pleased him to lay down the gloves after his latest victory, told B.H.
โBut right now my bodyโs not falling apart, so weโll keep it going.โ
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While speculation had initially pointed to either the undefeated Movsar Evloev or similarly undefeated Lerone Murphy being prime candidates for Alexander Volkanovskiโs next opponent, the matchmakers have clearly seen fit to expedite this rematch in the wake of Lopesโ spectacular second-round knockout against Jean Silva โ handing the Fighting Nerds athlete his first UFC loss and snapping a 13-bout win streak โ in addition to the competitive nature of Lopes vs Volkanovski at UFC 314.
Standby for the rest of the UFC 324: Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes II main card.
