When in a bind, sanction a rematch. It’s an easy solution for bookers, leaning back into a pre-made rivalry and billing it as its second coming. There’s a score to be settled, et cetera.
But not every feud needs to be run back. Such is the case with UFC 325’s main event on Saturday 31 January, which pits two-time featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski against Diego Lopes, nine months on from their first bout. Back then, there was a lot to be excited about.
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Volkanovski was returning to the cage for the first time since being flatlined by Ilia Topuria, who brutally ended the Aussie’s legendary reign at 145lb. The gold had since been left vacant by “El Matador”, who’d jumped up to pursue (and swiftly achieve) similar glory at lightweight, giving Volkanovski a chance to reclaim his crown. But at 36, that redemption story was hardly a foregone conclusion. Back-to-back knockout losses, one to Topuria and the other to pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev up a weight class, sparked fears that “Alexander The Great” was over the hill.
Retirement was now a not-so-distant possibility for Volkanovski and as he squared off against Lopes, a 30-year-old jiu-jitsu specialist who had stormed through the division to earn a title shot, it felt like a gut-wrenching passing of the torch could be upon us.
Instead, facing a boom-or-bust scenario, Volkanovski proved he still had it in abundance. Barring a flash knockdown in the second round, the former – and now reigning – champion outfought the Mexican-Brazilian for a convincing decision win, with prevailing opinion dictating that Volkanovski ended the fight with four rounds to Lopes’s one. “Adversity is a privilege,” he declared.
After a fun fight and feel-good win for a fan favourite, this chapter looked ready to be closed. Yet here we are, staring down the barrel of a rematch not many – other than Lopes and his camp – particularly craved.
Alexander Volkanovski after regaining the UFC featherweight title with victory over Diego Lopes (Getty Images)
“If you don’t like it, then don’t watch it,” said UFC president Dana White, responding to backlash over his booking of the featherweight title. A typically barbed response from White, his dismissal of wider fan sentiment – the litmus test of whether his product is living up to expectations – is the root of the company’s matchmaking problem.
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The illusion that the UFC is a meritocracy may be long shattered but not only were there more interesting fights to make than Volkanovski vs Lopes 2, there were arguably more deserving challengers.
Staving off British bias, Manchester’s own Lerone Murphy had a very valid case to be fighting for the belt next. Undefeated at 17-0-1, “The Miracle” is coming off his knockout-of-the-year win over hot property Aaron Pico at UFC 319, which saw him sleep the debutant with a stunning spinning back elbow on late notice. With wins over Josh Emmett, Dan Ige and Edson Barboza already under his belt, this performance acted as a title statement – something recognised by champion Volkanovski, who said it was a “no-brainer” to give Murphy a shot at the gold.
Lerone Murphy was a ‘no-brainer’ to fight for the title next, according to Volkanovski (Getty Images)
Yet he was overlooked, so we go to another contender. In fact, we go to the No 1 contender. Movsar Evloev, similarly undefeated at 19-0, has climbed the ladder from gatekeeper to former champion and beaten everyone on the way up. A relentless wrestler, his resume includes the scalps of Ige, Arnold Allen and Saturday’s challenger-in-question Lopes, with his most-recent win coming against ex-bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling.
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However, that fight was in December 2024. The Russian did not compete in 2025, with a slated bout against Pico for July falling through due to an injury. His inactivity would act as reasoning why White turned focus away from his top featherweight contender, though time out of the cage has not stopped fighters from being thrown immediately into the title picture. Ask Jon Jones, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, the list goes on.
Sterling was also an option, offering that champion-versus-champion angle, but Murphy and Evloev would have each felt they should have been the fresh challenge for Volkanovski that fans are desiring. By snubbing them both, a natural match-up looks set to be made: Murphy vs Evloev, probably at UFC London. It’s a great fight, but one that creates another headache for the UFC.
Movsar Evloev (left) looks set to square off with Murphy after both were snubbed for a title shot (Getty Images)
When one gets their arm raised, the other’s title credibility will diminish. This is not what’s needed for a featherweight division growing lighter after the departures of Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. Volkanovski might be next, and soon. Stars must be built at 145lb rather than snuffed out.
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The former may transpire at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena if Lopes can dethrone Volkanovski in what might be the Aussie hero’s last act in the UFC. He was handily bested nine months ago but with both men a year older, Saturday could go very differently for the challenger, who bounced back in style to finish the dangerous Jean Silva in September.
But it feels like either way, the UFC have booked themselves into a hole when they really didn’t need to. Featherweight is regularly regarded as one of the company’s strongest divisions but, as we progress into the Paramount era, there are more questions than answers over its long-term future.
