UFC 314 should have been a blast, an event that includes Alexander Volkanovski and Ili Topuria in their rematch. However, just one day following the ticket sale, Topuria withdrew, killing the hype and upsetting the army of MMA fans.
Dana White also felt the backlash, because many who bought tickets felt cheated and betrayed. That’s how Diego Lopez stepped in. One of the fastest rising stars in the UFC stepped in to compete for the UFC lightweight belt against Volk.
DIEGO AND YAIR ARE GOING AT IT@DiegoLopesMMA | @PanteraUFC | #UFC314 pic.twitter.com/LDdJJkanpy
— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2025
We will make a preview of this event, along with the pick. On this link, you can find Volkanovski vs. Lopes odds and other information for UFC 314.
- Venue: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
- Time: Saturday, April 12, 10 pm ET
Volkanovski VS Lopes Preview
Volkanovski
Alexander the Great can’t find his ground these days, because he lost three of his last four battles. OK, one against Islam was on short notice (the second) the first was a shady win for Islam, but the loss to Topuria was crystal clear. The Spanish fighter KOd him viciously and took the belt.
However, here is an unexpected situation, in which Colkanovski can get his hands on the UFC featherweight belt once again. He was one of the most dominant champions in this category for a number of years.
We don’t need to say too much about this guy who has 26 wins and only four losses in his MMA career. First of all, he had five successful title defenses, which made him arguably the greatest champion in the division. Trilogy against Max Holloway won’t be forgotten, as well as his wins over Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Chad Mendes, Yair Rodriguez etc.
Volk is a very intense fighter whose stand up punching speed is incredible. But not only that, his cardio has been impeccable in the past. We have to say that now, we don’t know whether all those defeats left some mark on him or that age might have depleted that a bit. He is strong, fierce, and aggressive in the octagon, never letting the rival take over the initiative.
Lopes
Diego Lopes is seven years younger than Volkanovski and he is on the rise now. He has 26 wins and 6 losses in his MMA career, and the Mexican had to fight his way up from the dirt to reach here.
Lopes’ debut in the UFC ended with a unanimous decision loss to Movsar Evloev. However, following that one, Diego went on to win five matches in a row, beating guys like Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige, and Brian Ortega.
The thing with Lopes is he is very big for the featherweight division and has an edge when it comes to long-distance exchange, which he uses very cleverly. But apart from that, he is very resilient and stubborn. Lopes has a very strong chin. This is something underestimated but in fact, is his great weapon. Also, his ground game isn’t polished nor shinny, but he does keep the rivals under pressure, and 12 submission wins tell us that he knows his business when the battle takes him down to the mat.
Sure, he didn’t have enough fighting experience at this level, but as stated before, Lopes had to work his way up from lower promotions to reach here, which is why he has more battles than the majority of the UFC guys.
Volkanovski VS Lopes Predictions
We aren’t so sure about Volk anymore, but on the other hand, we haven’t seen Lopes tested at this level. Volkanovski’s recent three losses were against elite guys, while Lopes never had a similar experience in his past. With all due respect, Brian Ortega is a bit washed up, and winning over T-City isn’t against an elite fighter.
Due to all this, we give an edge to Volkanovski.
Main Card
In other matches, we would highlight the battle between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett. This one will show whether Pimblett is real or fake, while on the other hand, it presents one of the last chances for Chandler to get back under the spotlights.
Also, the debut of Patricio Pitbull, a Bellator legend, who meets Yair Rodriguez. The Panthera needs this win, or he won’t be relevant for big events.
The same goes for the light heavyweight battle Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes. If the latter loses he probably won’t be on main cards.
