Alexander Volkanovski returned to the top of the UFC in Miami against Diego Lopes on Saturday evening.
Legendary former former champion Volkanovski had one last chance to reclaim the title in the UFC 314 main event against the rising Lopes. Ilia Topuria won the title by eliminating the Aussie, but after being defended against Max Holloway last year, he moved to lightweight and left the belt.
Lopes had won one after all the efforts in the UFC on the way to Fight Night, who came up as a favorite with a fan for his exciting fighting style. But the former champion received the welcome from a hero when he returned to the Octagon for the first time in 14 months.
Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes UFC 314 Result
While the first bell sounded, the Topuria era came to an end at the featherweight when Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes started in provisional early exchanges. The couple had never promised the excitement of Pimblett and Chandler in the night and did not go for it from the first bell.
For about a minute and a half, however, they finally focused a lot to the joy of the Miami capacity. And towards the end of the Openingstanza, the Australian showed Vintage Volkanovski as he put Lopes and opened him to the ground.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
The second was another master class of the former champion, which shows that he still has it at the world level '. He thought his rhythm was perfect and sent his rival over the Octagon with one large counter lunch that he landed through the round for about four minutes.
With seconds to go to the buzzer, Lopes Volkanovski caught with a huge shot. He sent the former champion to the Canvas himself at a time when the momentum of the fight threatened to change.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
A dominant third was followed by a close fourth where Lopes scored a large right hand that clearly disturbing the former champion. They exchanged a lot and were both bleeding while they went back to the corner for the fifth.
When they exchanged the fifth, Volkanovski still seemed not to be sure of his eyesight and it was no guarantee that he would go to a decision. In the end he did just enough and won 49-46 on two score cards and 48-47 on another to reclaim the belt.
UFC 314 was night before the featherweight division
While the night was unmistakably stolen by the stunning and dominant victory of Paddy Pimblett over Michael Chandler in the Co-Main event, there is no doubt that the story of Saturday evening was the 145 pound division.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Bellator -legend Patricio Pitbull finally took the walk under the UFC banner, but was brought to the sword by Yair Rodriguez. The Mexican has called for the next shot on the belt, even mentioning UFC 320 in Mexico as the ideal place for such an outing.
Earlier in the night, Jean Silva announced himself as a legitimate competition with a brutal entry victory on Bryce Mitchell in a resentment fight in the making. Silva suffocated the controversial American unconscious to earn a ranking and confirm itself as a top candidate at 145LB.
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