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MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: (R-L) Alexander Volkanovski of Australia punches Diego Lopes of Brazil in ...
More the UFC featherweight championship bout during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Alexander Volkanovski shined on Saturday night in the UFC 314 main event at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Behind a steady jab, quickness, and a healthy bit of the timing many wondered if he’d lost after back-to-back losses, the 35-year-old future Hall-of-Famer regained the UFC featherweight championship with a unanimous-decision win over Diego Lopes.
Volk out-landed Lopes in every round and survived a shaky fourth round that saw Lopes hurt him with a sweeping right uppercut. Aside from that moment and a knockdown at the end of the second round, it was all Volk. His speed and precision seemed to be too much for the Brazilian as he reclaimed the title vacated by Ilia Topuria, the man who dethroned him in 2024.
The main event took home Fight of the Night honors, and it was deserving. Here is a look at the scorecards. The other bonuses went to Jean Silva, who smashed and choked out Bryce Mitchell, and Paddy Pimblett, who battered Michael Chandler en route to a TKO win.
The total attendance was 18,287 and the gate was $11.5 million. Alexander Volkanovski def.
Diego Lopes via unanimous decision (49-46x2, 48-47) Paddy Pimblett def. Michael Chandler via third-round TKO Chandler is done as a serious contender in the UFC. Pimblett put it on Chandler in a major way.
He was too big, skilled, and good at his craft for the former Bellator champion. Here’s a look at the finish: Pimblett is ready to take the next step up after this impressive TKO stoppage. The gig is up on Chandler.
Fans should no longer buy into the mirage that his persona promotes. At 38, we should be talking about retirement fights before we have another Tony Ferguson situation on our hands. Yair Rodríguez def.
Patrício Pitbull via unanimous decision (30-27x3) Jean Silva def. Bryce Mitchell via second-round submission ninja choke Silva is an absolute superstar. To win a fight with so much emotion behind it, and to have submitted a fighter as skilled on the ground as Mitchell is one of the more impressive wins of 2025.
Silva walked Mitchell down, shook off takedown attempts, hurt him on the feet, and masterfully choked him out. Wow! Here is a look at the finish. Dominick Reyes def.
Nikita Krylov via first round KO Reyes is back. After a four-fight losing streak from 2020–2022, Reyes has rebounded with three straight stoppage wins to re-insert himself in the title picture. Here is a look at the stoppage, which came via a straight counter right.
Krylov was out before he hit the canvas. Dan Ige def. Sean Woodson via third-round TKO Ige did a great job getting Woodson in trouble, but the referee stoppage will be debated all week.
Ige hurt Woodson with a counter shot midway through the final round. Woodson was doing his best to survive, and he looked to be on the cusp of a stoppage. Unfortunately, the referee may have pulled the plug a little early.
Virna Jandiroba def. Yan Xiaonan via unanimous decision (30-27x3) Chase Hooper def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28x2) Julian Erosa def.
Darren Elkins via second-round TKO This was a knockdown-dragout battle, which is what we’ve come to expect from any Elkins fight. Unfortunately for Damage, he is the one who came out most damaged in this one. Erosa proved to be too slick, quick, and deadly with his strikes as he earns a definitive stoppage win over the grizzled veteran.
Here is a look at the finish. Michał Oleksiejczuk def. Sedriques Dumas via first-round TKO Dumas complained about the stoppage here.
He has a slight point because he wasn’t being hit with his opponent’s barrage, but there was a prolonged period of one-way traffic, and that’ll almost always lead to a stoppage from the referee. That’s what happened to Dumas in this one. Oleksiejczuk looked like a different fighter since training with the Fighting Nerds.
Perhaps he’ll be able to keep it going. Sumudaerji def. Mitch Raposo via split decision (29-28x2, 28-29) Marco Tulio defeats Tresean Gore via second-round TKO Tulio and Gore went to war.
I didn’t mean to make that line rhyme, but their battle was like chaotic poetry in motion. I fear it won’t be appreciated because of how early it happened on the card. In any case, Tulio scored a big KO victory in a memorable finish.
Take a look: Nora Cornolle defeats Hailey Cowan via first-round submission Cornolle opened the event in finishing fashion with this slick submission win via rear-naked choke. Take a look at the win..
