1 week Ago By Steve Osborne
UFC 314 takes place this evening, the 12th of April, emanating from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Here is everything you need to know about the start times for the pay-per-view if you are wanting to tune in from the United Kingdom. The main event sees a bout for the vacant UFC featherweight championship between former champion Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, currently sitting third in the featherweight rankings.
It is an interesting clash of styles, with the tactical and methodical approach of the Australian going up against the explosive Brazilian. This weekend marks Volkanovski’s first action since losing the title to Ilia Topuria last February at UFC 298. After fighting four times in 360 days and getting knocked out in consecutive contests, the Australian legend pressed pause and reset all at once, backing away for a little over a year in order to make a run at reclaiming the throne he occupied for over four years.
Lopes’ rise in the ranks is a juxtaposition to his opponent’s struggles, as the 30-year-old Brazilian posted five wins in 13 months to establish himself as a serious title threat in the featherweight division. Last time out at UFC 306, Lopes rocked Brian Ortega in the early stages, continuing to dominate the action throughout en route to a clean sweep of the scorecards. In the co-main event, fight fans can enjoy some lightweight action, as rising UFC star Paddy Pimblett goes up against former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler .
Pimblett, nicknamed 'The Baddy' comes into the clash off the back of a submission win over King Green. He faces his toughest test yet inside the cage. Since making his UFC debut in 2021, the Liverpudlian has grown immensely and certainly has the tools to become a real star at 155lbs.
That said, Chandler will not roll over so easily. The American has great experience in the cage and has the one-punch knockout power in his hands - making tonight's co-main event a really intriguing one. The pair have been respectful to each other during fight week, with Pimblett joking Chandler is a " dirty fighter " before adding: "if you're not cheating, you're not trying.
" Chandler said: "All respect to what Paddy has done in this sport – he's earned the right to be in this spot, but I have proven over the last couple of decades I deserve to be in this spot as well. This is the people's main event. I'm going to find that chin, and I'm going to find it early.
" UFC 314 main card Weight Fight Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes Lightweight Michael Chandler vs Paddy Pimblett Featherweight Yair Rodriguez vs Patricio Pitbull Featherweight Bryce Mitchell vs Jean Silva Light heavyweight Nikita Krylov vs Dominick Reyes Also on the main card in Miami, a couple of other featherweight clashes will take place. Former three-time Bellator featherweight world champion Patricio Pitbull is making his UFC debut against former interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez, and Bryce Mitchell takes on Jean Silva. The main card is rounded out by a light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Dominick Reyes.
UFC 314 Start Times & How to Watch UK fight fans hoping to see Pimblett in action will have to make the choice of either staying up all night, or resting up beforehand. The early prelims are scheduled to get underway at 11pm UK time (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the prelims following at 1am UK time on Sunday (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card will start at around 3am UK time on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday).
Pimblett's clash with Chandler will likely get underway at around 4:30am UK time. The main event between Volkanovski and Lopes will likely take place at around 5am UK time on Sunday. The fight should not start later than this, but could be brought forward if the prelim fights are completed earlier than expected.
UK coverage of the prelims and the main card will be starting from 1am early Sunday morning, being shown on TNT Sports 1. Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chandler have both done media duties for the UFC ahead of UFC 314, and their physiques are eye-opening..
