Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is returning to Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., on April 12, 2025, with a wild pay-per-view (PPV) show that will feature a battle for the vacant Featherweight title in UFC 314’s main event.
First things first: UFC CEO, Dana White, tonight revealed via social media that former 145-pound kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski, will lock horns with No. 3-seeded contender, Diego Lopes.
Of course, that means that Ilia Topuria — who had just one awesome title defense — has vacated his Featherweight crown to chase history at the potential expense of reigning Lightweight roost-ruler, Islam Makhachev.
Fight fans can’t say they weren’t warned, but this is truly an unprecedented turn of events.
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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Volkanovski (26-4) has been out of action since a soul-crushing knockout loss to Topuria at UFC 298 back in Feb. 2024 (watch highlights). As a result, the long-time, 145-pound kingpin is currently mired in the first-ever losing streak of his legendary career.
It all fell apart … fast. The good news?
Volkanovski now has the opportunity to summit the mountain once more when he locks horns with Lopes (26-6). However, it will not be easy — Lopes has been on an absolute roll since losing his Octagon debut to Movsar Evolev on short notice back at UFC 288.
Indeed, the 30-year-old is riding a five-fight win streak with wins over Brian Ortega, Dan Ige and Sodiq Yusuff, among others.
In addition, top-ranked Lightweight contenders Michael Chandler (No. 7) and Paddy Pimblett (No. 12) will lock horns in UFC 314’s PPV co-main event in an electrifying 155-pound clash. The bout is scheduled for five, five-minute rounds.
Chandler is looking to rebound after a foul-heavy unanimous decision loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 back in Nov. 2024, while Pimblett is riding high off a six-fight UFC win streak, most recently submitting veteran King Green with a slick triangle choke at UFC 304 in July 2024 (watch highlights).
That’s not all.
In addition to the surprise championship headliner, White and Co. have added a 145-pound insurance policy (imagine that!), with former interim champion, Yair Rodriguez, welcoming former two-division Bellator MMA deity, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, to the Octagon for the first time ever.
White also revealed that tough-as-nails No. 10-ranked Welterweight, Geoff Neal, will take on red-hot division contender, Carlos Prates, who is coming off his first-ever main event win (a first round knockout) over Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 100 back in Nov. 2024.
Huzzah … anyone got a cigarette?
Checkout UFC 314’s bonkers PPV fight card as it stands below:
145 lbs.: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes for vacant Featherweight championship
155 lbs.: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
145 lbs.: Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
170 lbs.: Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates
115 lbs.: Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba
205 lbs.: Dominick Reyes vs. Nikita Krylov
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper
145 lbs.: Roberto Romero vs. Alberto Montes
125 lbs.: Su Mudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
145 lbs.: Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
185 lbs.: Micha? Oleksiejczuk vs. Sedriques Dumas
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.