Alexander Volkanovsky (dir) in victory over Diego lopes (left) in UFC 314. Photo: Reproduction/UFC
Under pressure and at a delicate moment in his career, Alexander Volkanovsky proved he still belongs at the top of MMA after a dominant performance over Diego lopes No. UFC 314. Protagonist of an exciting battle, the Australian finally regained the title he lost in 2024 and returned to being the undisputed featherweight champion (up to 65,7 kg) after triumphing in a unanimous decision by the judges.
Clearly emotional after having his belt buckled, Volkanovski realized that he was the first athlete to win a title after turning 35, in the featherweight division. In an interview, the fighter revealed that he had promised his daughters that he would return home with the belt.
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With his head held high, Diego showed himself willing to give an interview even after his defeat. The fighter took the opportunity to send a message to Brazil and Mexico thanking them for their support and apologizing for the defeat. The athlete also promised to return stronger in the future.
Volkanovski controls the result and dominates Diego Lopes
The fight began with both fighters accepting the fight in the center of the octagon. Calmly, Volkanovski and Diego measured the best distance to start landing blows. The first to kick high, the Australian had his action defended by his rival, who dodged a spinning punch thrown by the veteran next. With success in the exchange, Alexander landed a hard blow on the Manaus native and excited the crowd present in Miami. Without success, Diego was hit again and had to move backwards to recover from the damage suffered. Without worrying about the Brazilian's level of jiu-jitsu, Volkanovski was the first to try to take him down and applied a forceful knee while his rival defended attempts. In the final seconds of the first round, the Australian landed powerful punches that stunned Lopes.
Alexander Volkanovsky (dir) in victory over Diego lopes (left) in UFC 314. Photo: Reproduction/UFC
In the second round, the fighters came back cautiously, betting on jabs and feints. Moving forward, Volkanovski had the speed to threaten and escape Diego's counterattacks. In a sequence of three jabs thrown, Lopes made the Australian move backwards, but soon after received a strong straight punch, which hurt him again. Despite his good momentum, Alexander opted to try to take him down, instead of continuing with a sequence of blows. After provoking Volkanovski, Diego managed to land a good hand on the veteran's head and knocked him down with impact. The Australian quickly got up and accepted the exchange of blows until the bell rang.
Having recovered, Volkanovski returned in the third round, moving forward and looking for powerful blows. Diego, on the other hand, surrounded the Australian, looking for the best opportunity to land a punch like in the previous round. Confident in his distance, Volkanovski was constantly able to reach Diego's face while dodging the counterattack launched by the Brazilian.
In the penultimate round, Volkanovski insisted on delivering hard blows, while Diego tried to find the ideal distance to hurt the Australian. Successfully defending takedowns, the Brazilian exchanged punches while standing, but without threatening to change levels. In a promising moment, Alexander complained of discomfort in his eye and Diego tried with all his might to take advantage of the moment, hunting his opponent in the octagon. Despite being injured, the Australian did not give up and returned every punch the Brazilian received.
Calling on the fans to support him, Diego returned to the last round looking for a knockout. Dominating the center of the octagon, the fighter constantly surrounded and feinted, but faced the veteran with sharp boxing and counterattacks. Experienced, Volkanovski relied on lateral movement and jabs to control his rival's momentum. In the final minute of the fight, Lopes began to provoke Alexander so that the Australian would accept a frank exchange, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to break the former champion's mental state.
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