Volkanovski outclasses Lopes to tie Aldo's record

Alexander Volkanovski outclassed Diego Lopes in a vintage performance to win by unanimous decision and retain his featherweight title at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.

Two-time champion Volkanovski landed the more impactful shots among five rounds of slick movement and control as the 37-year-old won 49-46, 49-46, 50-45 on the judges' scorecards.

The victory in front of his home fans saw Volkanovski conclude his rivalry with Brazil's Lopes after beating the 31-year-old for the vacant belt in April.

It was Volkanovski's eighth victory in UFC featherweight title fights as he tied Brazil's Jose Aldo at the top of the all-time list.

"When they're doing the right stuff I make the adjustments, that's what makes a true champion," said Volkanovski.

"Grit, determination, hard work, sacrifices. I make adjustments on the fly, stay composed under fire, I have them all and I couldn't have done it without you - thank you, Sydney."

After Volkanovski lost the featherweight title to Ilia Topuria in 2024, pundits and fans wondered if the Australian - widely considered one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time - was on the decline.

But his win over Lopes in April, followed by his wily performance in the rematch, shows the enduring Volkanovski is still the gold standard in the division.

After a smiling Lopes made his walkout, Volkanovski, who was carrying the Australian flag above his head, was serenaded towards the octagon in a party-like atmosphere by exuberant fans at the Qudos Bank Arena in Western Sydney.

Volkanovski oozed calmness and took control from the opening bell with his footwork and distance management.

Although the pair traded leg kicks in early rounds, it was Volkanovski who landed the more telling shots as he stung Lopes intermittently with his right hand.

Lopes briefly knocked down Volkanovski with a right hook in the third round, but he bounced straight back up to regain control of the encounter.

It was a brief moment of success for Lopes, who struggled to land meaningful shots on the evasive Volkanovski for the majority of the encounter.

Fearing Lopes was nearing defeat, his team told him "you've got to go all out" before the final round, and although he threatened with submissions, Volkanovski defended stoutly.

The fight ended with Volkanovski geeing up cheering fans in the closing stages as he stamped his authority on the encounter by finishing in top position on the ground.

Victory marked Volkanovski's 13th win in the UFC and sixth title defence across two reigns.

Although he twice failed to beat former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in 2023 to become a two-division champion, Volkanovski's magnificent featherweight record means his place among the sport's greats is already cemented.

After the fight, he pointed to Britain's fourth-ranked featherweight Lerone Murphy or Russia's Movsar Evloev, who is ranked first, as potential next opponents.

There is speculation the pair will fight at UFC London on 21 March, but there has been no confirmation from the promotion.

"Obviously whoever is next deserves it. I think [the UFC] might be doing maybe Movsar and Lerone, but while they're doing that we'll talk to the team and see what's next," said Volkanovski.

On the prelims, Welsh welterweight Oban Elliott was submitted by Australia's Jonathan Micallef in the second round.

Elliott, 28, started strongly as he pushed forward and landed a number of strikes and ended the round on top with Micallef sporting a cut on his right cheek.

After hurting Micallef in the second round, Elliott made a costly error as the Australian stifled his momentum against the cage, before dragging him down and winning back control.

From there Micallef locked in a rear-naked choke and submitted Elliott for the 26-year-old's second win in the UFC.

Defeat marked a second consecutive loss for Elliott, who before that had won his first three fights in the organisation.