UFC 325 will happen January 31, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. It is going to be headlined by Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. Sydney returns as a UFC vacation spot following the group’s earlier occasion within the metropolis at UFC 312 on February 9, 2026. It has been rumored that this match shall be Volkanovski’s retirement match. Dana White simply introduced.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 Official for UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia
Alexander Volkanovski faces Diego Lopes in a featherweight title rematch anticipated to headline UFC 325. Volkanovski beforehand confronted Lopes at UFC 314 on April 13, 2025, in a bout that resulted in Volkanovski’s determination victory. Lopes carries knowledgeable document of 6-2 in UFC competitors and ranks second within the featherweight division. He maintains a knockout price of fifty p.c throughout his UFC bouts and demonstrates ending functionality throughout a number of rounds.
Volkanovski established himself as a multi-division champion by way of victories throughout featherweight and light-weight competitors. The rematch construction offers a direct path for Lopes to deal with his earlier determination loss towards the previous featherweight champion.
Alexander Volkanovski represents certainly one of combined martial arts’ most completed featherweights and a defining determine within the sport’s current historical past. Born September 29, 1988, in Australia, Volkanovski has compiled a 26-4 skilled document since turning skilled in 2012. Previous to becoming a member of the UFC in 2016, Volkanovski captured championships throughout a number of regional promotions, together with PXC and AFC featherweight titles, establishing himself as a reputable prospect earlier than coming into the group.
The Australian’s UFC career includes the longest featherweight championship reign in promotion historical past. He defeated Max Holloway at UFC 245 in December 2019 to seize the title and subsequently made 5 consecutive title defenses towards ranked opposition, together with Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, and Holloway in consecutive rematches.
Diego Lopes da Silva represents the following era of featherweight contenders and a rising risk to championship aspirations. Born December 30, 1994, in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, Lopes started coaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age seven following his household’s deep custom in fight sports activities. His father, Elias Lopes, holds a fifth-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, and his siblings Debora and Thiago are additionally black belt practitioners. Lopes earned his purple belt by age 16 and subsequently transitioned into combined martial arts competitors.
Lopes enters the contest having won his last six consecutive featherweight bouts before the Volkanovski loss and winning his most recent engagement following the initial decision. The second contest represents the opportunity for either fighter to establish definitively dominant positioning within the featherweight title picture heading into 2026.
