A second numbered event of the Paramount era is now in the books, as the UFC traveled across the globe to Sydney, Australia, for UFC 325 on Saturday night. The card was headlined by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his title on home soil for the first time in his career. Volkanovski faced No. 2 contender Diego Lopes in a highly anticipated rematch at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.

Alexander Volkanovski (c) def. Diego Lopes via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)

Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his UFC featherweight title with a second straight unanimous decision win over Diego Lopes, closing out UFC 325 in Sydney and reaffirming his place atop the division. Fighting in front of a home crowd, the Australian champion once again proved too composed, too versatile, and too durable for the dangerous Brazilian challenger in their rematch.

While Volkanovski largely dominated their first meeting, Lopes entered the rematch having addressed many of his previous shortcomings, particularly in wrestling and cage control. Lopes showed clear improvement, cutting off the octagon more effectively and applying consistent pressure, but Volkanovski countered every adjustment with something new. The champion’s constant stance switches prevented Lopes from settling into a rhythm, and Volkanovski mixed in heavier power shots than he did in their first bout, keeping Lopes hesitant and reactive.

The fight featured tense moments throughout, most notably in Round 3 when Lopes scored a flash knockdown. Volkanovski recovered immediately, however, and his earlier success in the round minimized the impact of the moment. The final round produced the most dramatic sequence of the night, as a scrambling grappling exchange saw Volkanovski briefly threatened by Lopes’ jiu-jitsu before the champion calmly defended and escaped. Volkanovski’s composure under pressure once again proved decisive.

At 37 years old, Volkanovski delivered another dominant performance, earning scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 50-45 to secure his sixth win as featherweight champion and eighth overall in championship bouts. The margins were wider than their first fight, reflecting Volkanovski’s adjustments as he traded some volume for increased power, defensive sharpness, and more effective control. Lopes struggled to consistently breach Volkanovski’s defense, as the champion maintained distance, landed sharp counters, and punished the Brazilian with calf kicks while absorbing and managing body shots.

In the closing seconds, Volkanovski acknowledged the home crowd before punctuating his performance with late ground-and-pound. Lopes raised the champion’s arm afterward, acknowledging defeat with respect. The win tied Volkanovski with José Aldo for the most featherweight title defenses in UFC history and further strengthened his argument as the greatest featherweight of all time. Already earning wins over Aldo and three wins against fellow legend Max Holloway, Volkanovski left the cage calling for future matchups against top contenders Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy as his title reign continues.

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Results

• Alexander Volkanovski (c) def. Diego Lopes via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
• Benoit Saint Denis def. Dan Hooker via second-round TKO (punches)
• Mauricio Ruffy def. Rafael Fiziev via second-round TKO (punches)
• Tallison Teixeira def. Tai Tuivasa via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Quillan Salkilld def. Jamie Mullarkey via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
• Billy Elekana def. Junior Tafa via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
• Cam Rowston def. Cody Brundage via second-round TKO (punches)
• Jacob Malkoun def. Torrez Finney via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
• Jonathan Micallef def. Oban Elliott via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
• Kaan Olfi def. Yizha via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
• Dom Mar Fan def. Sangwook Kim via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Keiichiro Nakamura def. Sebastian Szalay via second-round (punches)
• Lawrence Liu def. Sulangrangbo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)