Lopes Challenges Volkanovski, Then They Meet Twice
Diego Lopes called out Alexander Volkanovski on X on Dec. 11, 2024, proposing a fight if Ilia Topuria moved to lightweight. “You can pick the date and location,” Lopes wrote. The challenge eventually led to two featherweight title fights between Lopes and Volkanovski.
Lopes’ post was a response to Topuria’s public comments about moving up to 155 pounds. Topuria later vacated the featherweight title, and Lopes was matched with Volkanovski for the vacant belt. Lopes had beaten Brian Ortega by unanimous decision in September 2024; the official scorecards confirm the result.
Volkanovski won their first meeting by unanimous decision on April 12, 2025, with official scores of 48–47, 49–46 and 49–46. He retained the title in their rematch on Jan. 31, 2026, winning 49–46, 49–46 and 50–45. The first-fight scorecards and rematch result confirm both outcomes.
The first title contest took place at Kaseya Center in Miami. It offered Volkanovski a route back to the featherweight championship and gave Lopes his first opportunity to win the UFC belt. With the title vacant, the matchup was a championship contest between contenders rather than a defense by either participant.
Lopes created a major moment by dropping Volkanovski in the second round. The Australian recovered and continued to build scoring work across the remaining rounds, ultimately taking the unanimous decision. The knockdown made the contest more competitive than the final result alone might suggest, but it did not prevent Volkanovski from reclaiming the championship. Reuters’ report described that turning point.
The rivalry’s progression gives the December callout a clear place in the timeline. A conditional proposal on social media became a formal vacant-title booking and then a rematch. Those later events established actual results beyond the original speculation, with Volkanovski winning both meetings over the full five-round distance.
