Volkanovski vs Lopes: Two Title Fights

September 17, 2024 380 Views by

In September 2024, Alexander Volkanovski said he would consider an interim title fight with Diego Lopes if the featherweight title picture stalled. The scenario changed: they fought twice for the undisputed title, and Volkanovski won both bouts. MMA Junkie reported his original comments.

The Current Landscape

At the time, Ilia Topuria was scheduled to defend the featherweight title against Max Holloway at UFC 308. Topuria knocked Holloway out in Round 3 on October 26, 2024. After Topuria later vacated the belt to pursue lightweight, Volkanovski faced Lopes for the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314.

Lopes’ Meteoric Rise

Lopes rose into title contention after beating Brian Ortega at UFC 306 in September 2024. He challenged Volkanovski for the vacant belt at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, but lost by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46). The UFC’s recap records the title result.

Volkanovski’s Stance

Volkanovski’s 2024 comments left open an interim bout only if the title picture stalled. Instead, he received the next championship opportunity after the belt became vacant and defeated Lopes for the undisputed title at UFC 314. The UFC’s event report confirms the result.

The One Condition

Volkanovski’s condition proved unnecessary. Ilia Topuria defeated Max Holloway at UFC 308, then vacated the featherweight title to pursue a lightweight opportunity. UFC 314 was therefore for the vacant undisputed championship, not an interim title. The UFC 308 report and UFC 314 recap document the title change.

Looking Ahead

Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight championship with his UFC 314 decision over Lopes, then defended it with another unanimous decision in their UFC 325 rematch on January 31, 2026 (49-46, 49-46, 50-45). His next defense is scheduled against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026. The UFC 325 scorecards and UFC 333 event listing verify those results and the upcoming matchup.

The matchup the 2024 article framed as a possible interim bout became two championship fights. Volkanovski won the vacant title in their first meeting and retained it in the rematch.

Topuria-Holloway and the subsequent title changes settled the question that prompted Volkanovski’s interim-fight comments. By January 2026, Volkanovski had beaten Lopes twice and held the featherweight title.

Citations:
[1] https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/09/ufc-306-alexander-volkanovski-opinion-would-take-interim-featherweight-title-fight-vs-diego-lopes-one-circumstance
[2] https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/who-get-next-featherweight-title-shot-diego-lopes-case-vs-alexander-volkanovski-s
[3] https://firstsportz.com/alexander-volkanovski-willing-to-fight-diego-lopes-for-interim-title-under-one-circumstance/
[4] https://bvmsports.com/2024/09/16/volkanovski-open-to-interim-title-fight-with-lopes-but-only-if/
[5] https://twitter.com/mmamania/status/1835854032163762659
[6] https://bloodyelbow.com/2024/09/15/alexander-volkanovski-open-to-interim-title-fight-against-diego-lopes-following-win-at-ufc-306-well-see-what-happens/
[7] https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/alex-volkanovski/alexander-volkanovski-open-to-interim-title-fight-against-diego-lopes-for-ufc-return-you-never-know/
[8] https://www.sportscasting.com/news/alexander-volkanovski-i-would-take-an-interim-title-fight-under-one-circumstance/
[9] https://www.ufc.com/news/main-card-results-highlights-winner-interviews-ufc-308-topuria-vs-Holloway
[10] https://www.ufc.com/news/alexander-volkanovski-reclaim-throne-ufc-314
[11] https://www.ufc.com/news/official-judges-scorecards-ufc-325-volkanovski-vs-lopes-2

Sources

Tags: MMA

Categories
News

by Oscar Madison - Sep 17, 2024

by Oscar Madison - Sep 17, 2024