A new UFC featherweight champion will be crowned when Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes step into the octagon. Their 145-pound title fight scheduled for five rounds will take place Saturday, April 12 at UFC 314 from Kaseya Center in Miami.
This fight between Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) and Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) came together after Ilia Topuria agreed to vacate the featherweight title as he prepares to move up to lightweight.
Volkanovski, 36, will enter UFC 314 looking to become a two-time champ after losing the title to Topuria by knockout in February 2024. Volkanovski should be determined to prove his career still has plenty to offer after losing three of his past four bouts. His other two losses during that span were failed attempts at claiming the lightweight title from Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski’s most recent win came in July 2023 when he finished Yair Rodriguez by third-round TKO.
