Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski defended his 145-pound title against Diego Lopes atop the UFC 325 event on Paramount+ last weekend at Qudos Bank Arena in New South Wales, Australia, finishing their five-round showdown with his ass in the challenger’s face. That was a fitting end to one of the most pointless rematches in UFC history.
Volkanovski already beat Lopes at UFC 314 in a fight that was competitive, but not close.
Remember, matchmakers had two worthy contenders waiting in the wings — both of them undefeated. Lerone Murphy is currently ranked No. 4 at 145 pounds and holds nine straight wins under the UFC banner with four knockouts. Similarly, Movsar Evloev (19-0) has won nine in a row and currently sits at No. 1 in the official featherweight rankings.
I guess I’m just being a “crybaby” who shouldn’t have watched.
“Great fight by Alex Volkanovski,” Evloev wrote on social media. “He showed that you can get better at that age. I can’t wait to share a cage to show why I am different than these guys!”
Evloev, 31, defeated Lopes at UFC 288 back in early 2023.
We’re now two events into the Paramount+ era with a ho-hum “Fight Night” card just around the corner. I know the promotion is taking a victory lap for all the streamers it brought to its new broadcast partner, but it’s important to remember those fans signed up before UFC 324, so we’ll see how many stuck around for UFC 325 when the numbers are released at some point next week.
As far as the cheaper price tag for numbered events … you get what you pay for.
