Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 298 pre-fight press convention Credit score: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Ilia Topuria has vacated the UFC’s featherweight title and can transfer to light-weight, resulting in Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes being booked for the now-vacant 145lb title in the principle occasion of UFC 314 this April.
UFC officers later introduced the UFC 314 principal occasion and several other different key match-ups, following White’s personal announcement.
The UFC 314 principal occasion places one among featherweight’s all-time greats, Volkanovski (26-4) up in opposition to one among its newer stars in Lopes (26-6). Former champ Volk is coming off back-to-back losses in title fights, first in opposition to Islam Makhachev for his light-weight crown, then in opposition to Topuria, which value him his 145lb title.
Alexander Volkanovski first received featherweight gold in 2019, defeating Max Holloway to take action. He defended his crown 4 instances, in two extra fights with Holloway, and in opposition to Brian Ortega and The Korean Zombie. Volkanovski, 36, noticed his most up-to-date win come in opposition to Yair Rodriguez in 2023.
As for Diego Lopes, he’s blossomed right into a star with victories over Ortega, Dan Ige, Sodiq Yusuff, and others. The Brazilian, who resides in Mexico, serves as former girls’s flyweight champ Alexa Grasso’s jiu-jitsu coach. He’s received 5 straight beneath the UFC banner, and bypasses the undefeated 19-0 Movsar Evloev to earn his shot at gold. Evloev really holds a win over Lopes in what was Diego’s short-notice debut within the UFC (which stays his solely loss within the promotion).
To be honest, Lopes is ranked one spot above Evloev at 145lbs. Lopes sits at #3; Volkanovski is ranked #1.
UFC 314 takes place in Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025 on the Kaseya Heart.
