The second numbered event in as many weeks for the UFC took place in Australia on Saturday as featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski fought in front of his home fans in Sydney for the first time since 2017.
Volkanovski scored a second straight win over Diego Lopes in the main event, recording a clear unanimous decision to equal Jose Aldo’s UFC record of eight wins in title bouts at 145 pounds. In the co-main event, Benoit Saint-Denis put a hurting on veteran Dan Hooker in a second-round stoppage before calling out the elite of the division.
Here’s a look at the biggest takeaways from an exciting night of action inside Qudos Bank Arena at UFC 325.
1. Death, taxes and Alexander Volkanovski on top of the featherweight division
Even though the 37-year-old Volkanovski wouldn’t cop to it himself during fight week out of respect for Aldo, whom he defeated in 2019, we can all say it for him: “Alexander the Great” is the best featherweight in MMA history. Volkanovski is 18-1 at 145 pounds throughout his 14-year pro career (including a mark of 13-1 in the UFC), with his only blemish being a second-round knockout loss to current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in 2024. And not only did Volkanovski regain the vacant UFC title following the setback, he defended once more in his rematch with Lopes on Saturday that somehow looked even easier than the five-round decision he claimed nine months ago. Volkanovski took a knee on a flash knockdown in Round 3 but outside of that, it was lights out as the Australian met Lopes’ pressure with clean boxing, a stiff jab and constant footwork patterns that never allowed his Brazilian foe to get into a rhythm. The fact that Volkanovski still appears to be at the top of his game this far into his 30s in a smaller weight division in which speed is prioritized is remarkable. A true living legend of the Octagon, who owns three career wins over Max Holloway, it wouldn’t be out of bounds to suggest that Volkanovski is a top 15 fighter in the history of the sport. And even though some difficult style matchups remain should he choose to stay active and continue his title, it would be hard to imagine Volkanovski not being favored from a betting standpoint against the likes of Movsar Evloev, Lerone Murphy, Jean Silva or Aljamain Sterling.
2. The lightweight division is reshuffling the deck at a rapid rate
Even with 37-year-old Justin Gaethje turning back time last Saturday at UFC 324 to claim the interim title for the second time in an exciting win over Paddy Pimblett, the lightweight division has seen many of its all-action heroes retire or enter their twilight in recent years, from Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler to Charles Oliveira and even Conor McGregor. But a new breed of 155-pound fighters are on the rise, as evidenced by Ilia Topuria’s championship win last year and the rise of top contender Arman Tsarukyan. Three more lightweights scored breakthrough wins on Saturday’s main card to move closer to title contention; Benoit Saint Denis, Mauricio Ruffy and newcomer Quillan Sallkilld.
Saint Denis improved to 4-0 with four stoppage wins since he suffered a pair of devastating losses in 2024 and suddenly looks like a legit title contender following a violent second-round TKO win over a brave Dan Hooker. BSD took some damage at times but was able to take the fight to the ground and suffocate Hooker when it mattered most. Ruffy, meanwhile, bounced back from a humbling submission loss to Saint Denis last September by switching camps and continents to deliver an impressive second-round stoppage of Rafael Fiziev to likely catapult himself back into the top 10. But it was Sallkilld who very much looked like the long-term future of the division when the 26-year-old improved to 4-0 in the UFC since making his debut one year ago by submitting Jamie Mullarkey with relative ease.
3. There are no excuses left for Tai Tuivasa
Entering the fight riding a five-fight losing streak (including four by stoppage) and an 18-month layoff to heal himself mentally and physically, Tuivasa’s Sydney homecoming turned out to be an absolute disaster. Even though he nearly rallied for a dramatic stoppage win in Round 3 against an opponent, Tallison Teixeira, who had never fought past the first round in 12 career pro fights, Tuivasa’s lack of cardio after so much time away was embarrassing. Claiming he undertook the layoff to heal himself both mentally and physically, Tuivasa somehow looked in worse physical shape than he did amid the losing skid and clearly hadn’t improved on his lack of a ground game as the 6-foot-8 Teixeira, who isn’t known as a ground specialist, largely relied on takedowns and top pressure to win the first two rounds. The only fighters in UFC history to stay employed following losing skids of at least six consecutive fights are BJ Penn, Tony Ferguson and Sam Alvey. Given that Tuivasa is a fan favorite who competes in an exciting style and is still just 32 in a division that ages slower than the rest, he just might get another opportunity inside the Octagon. The real question is, however, how much pride does Tuivasa have left to try and save his career? It’s now or never.
Add Comment