The UFC is officially coming back to Sydney, with the promotion confirming that UFC 325 will take place in the harbour city on February 1 with featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski headlining the event against Diego Lopes.
UFC boss Dana White announced the news on Friday, while also announcing that UFC 324 will feature an interim title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for the lightweight belt just seven days earlier.
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The title fight marks Volkanovski’s first bout on home soil in several years and is expected to draw another sell-out crowd.
Volkanovski and Lopes first met in a thriller at UFC 314 earlier this year, where Volkanovski reclaimed the vacant featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory.
The rematch is set to reignite their fierce rivalry, with both fighters eager to prove dominance in the 145-pound division.
Volkanovski’s last bout in Australia was his February 2023 defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. He rebounded from that result to beat Yair Rodriguez before suffering another loss to Makhachev.
The Australian would next lose the featherweight belt to Ilia Topuria in a dramatic upset at UFC 298 in 2024.
Lopes, ranked No.4, rebounded from his loss to “The Great” with an excellent victory over Jean Silva at UFC Noche and will be looking for revenge in Sydney next year.
The rematch gives both fighters a chance to assert themselves as the definitive force in the featherweight division in 2026.
There are two undefeated contenders in the division, Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, who Volkanovski has expressed interest in facing.
Murphy had been widely rumored as Volkanovski’s next challenger, with the champion even calling the potential matchup ‘a no-brainer.’ However, with the rematch against Lopes now official, Murphy will have to wait for his opportunity.
Following the announcement, Murphy took to social media to express his disappointment.
“Missing the opportunity to fight one of featherweight’s GOATs is what hurts me the most,” Murphy wrote. “It’s not about who’s the best anymore. It’s about who’s most popular.”
MORE TO COME
