One of one.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his 145-pound title against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 325 last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026), cruising to a unanimous decision victory inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The only real question is: who’s next — and when?
Top contenders Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy are widely rumored to face off at UFC London in March, which would push Volkanovski’s next title defense back to the summer at the earliest. That delay naturally raises the possibility of another challenger stepping in, such as fast-rising Jean Silva or even Arman Tsarukyan, who has teased a move down to Featherweight.
Volkanovski, however, has zero interest in rewarding line-jumpers.
“Look, I feel bad enough that there are guys who deserve it that have to wait, even though they’re eventually going to get it,” Volkanovski told reporters. “Do I keep making them wait? I’ve got a responsibility as a champion. I don’t think enough champions look at it that way. For me, it’s a responsibility. There are rankings for a reason and people who deserve it.”
“If someone does get it in, I’ll stay active to give others a chance so they don’t have to wait,” he added. “But if I’m just letting people cut the line, I’m not really doing my part.”
You’ve got to appreciate a champion like Volkanovski, who wants to defend his title against the rightful contenders — where he could easily fight someone like Silva — who is red hot at the moment and extremely popular.
It’s a refreshing stance from a champion who could easily chase blockbuster matchups or capitalize on red-hot contenders like Silva, but instead wants to reward merit over momentum.
If Volkanovski gets his wish, he’ll face the winner of Murphy vs. Evloev sometime this summer — and continue adding to an already historic resume. With his UFC 325 win, the 37-year-old tied Jose Aldo for the most Featherweight title fight victories in UFC history (8), further strengthening his case as the greatest 145-pound fighter of all time.
