Volkanovski Reclaims Featherweight Title in UFC 314 Thriller

• Apr 13, 2025

Alexander Volkanovski returned to the Octagon at UFC 314 with a point to prove and walked away with gold again.

The pay-per-view event, held on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, featured 13 bouts across seven divisions. The card delivered a mix of upsets, knockouts, and dominant performances, headlined by a featherweight title clash between former champion Alexander Volkanovski and rising star Diego Lopes.

Volkanovski, coming off two knockout losses that ended his long reign, entered the cage to face the No. 3-ranked Lopes, who was on a five-fight win streak. While Volkanovski was seen as the favorite, many wondered how his recent defeats would affect his performance.

The Australian opened with low kicks and feints to set up combinations, eventually rocking Lopes with a powerful overhand right and a left hook. He also outgrappled Lopes in the clinch, controlling much of the first round. Lopes struggled to keep up with Volkanovski’s pace and movement but managed to knock him down with a clean shot late in Round 2.

In the later rounds, Lopes tried to disrupt the rhythm with wild exchanges, but Volkanovski remained composed, sticking to his jab and distance management. A punch to the eye briefly troubled Volkanovski in Round 4, but he continued executing his strategy. After five rounds, he earned a unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47), becoming a two-time UFC featherweight champion — the second in history after Jose Aldo.

In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett earned the biggest win of his career, stopping Michael Chandler via TKO in Round 3. Pimblett weathered Chandler’s early pressure, reversed a takedown, and controlled the ground game before finishing with strikes. Other main card highlights included Yair Rodriguez’s decision win over Patricio Pitbull, Jean Silva’s submission victory over Bryce Mitchell, and Dominick Reyes’ first-round knockout of Nikita Krylov.

On the prelims, Dan Ige stunned Sean Woodson with a third-round TKO, while Virna Jandiroba dominated Yan Xiaonan to stake her claim for a strawweight title shot. The event also saw Chase Hooper outwork Jim Miller and Julian Erosa finish Darren Elkins.

UFC 314 proved to be a night of comebacks, rising stars, and career-defining wins.