Alexander Volkanovski has reclaimed the featherweight title tonight in the main event of UFC 314 with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Lopes.
Round One
The vacant featherweight belt is up for grabs as the main event gets underway in Miami!
Inside calf kick for Volkanovski. He lands another. Now a high kick, but more of a feeler than a full commitment on that one.
Volkanovski circling now as Lopes stays patient. Spinning backfist attempt from Volkanovski. Another inside calf kick and a couple of jabs.
Lopes with a punch now that lands. Flurry of strikes from both fighters at close quarters. Volkanovski works the jab. He steps in with a jab and then a hard right hand before it.
Right hand from Lopes. Heavy punch from Volkanovski sends Lopes backwards on his heels. Big moment for the former champ.
Jab for Volkanovski. Lopes still being surprisingly inactive here. Volkanovski closes the distance with punches and then threatens with a knee upstairs as he clinches up against the cage.
Lopes defending a takedown now as he’s facing the cage. Volkanovski blasts him with a few left hands and then takes him down. Good ground-and-pound from Volkanovski late in the round.
Round Two
Front kick to the body followed by a leg kick from Volkanovski. One-two for him. Calf kick now and Lopes landed a counter-punch that time.
Right hand for Volkanovski. Low kick and a punch from Volkanovski as Lopes also lands a punch. Volkanovski threatens with a takedown, but doesn’t commit to it.
Nice right hand from Volkanovski. Lopes presses forward with two solid jabs. Still not much output or aggression from Lopes though.
Good right hand from Volkanovski and two more punches behind it that send Lopes staggering backwards for a moment. Now Volkanovski clinching up against the cage.
Lopes able to break free and get back to the center of the Octagon. Lopes with a grazing right hand. Right hand over the top from Volkanovski.
Three-piece combo from Volkanovski. Jab for Lopes and a clean counter in return from Volkanovski. Volkanovski in again looking for a combo, but he gets caught this time with a left and right hand that knocks him down! Volkanovski back up quickly and seems ok though as Lopes gets a surge of confidence to take into the third round.
Round Three
Right hand for Volkanovski and Lopes just misses with an uppercut. Jab for Lopes. Inside leg kick from Volkanovski. He lands it again. Calf kick for Lopes now. He lands a solid right hand.
Low kick for Volkanovski. Step-in jab for Volkanovski. He misses a kick but connects with a jab. Left hook scores for Volkanovski.
Volkanovski pumps the jab as Lopes pressures forward. They both land a punch at the same time. Nice jab from the former champ.
Volkanovski with head movement as he fires off a combo while avoiding Lopes’ own offense. Volkanovski gets through with a right hand.
Body kick for Lopes. Wheel kick attempt from Lopes, but Volkanovski steers clear of it. Volkanovski strikes and then Lopes fires back with a series of kicks.
Round Four
Volkanovski fires off a couple of hooks off the guard. Calf kick for him. One-two connects for him. He fires off a heavy right hand.
Body kick for Volkanovski. Both connect with a punch but Volkanovski follows up with more afterwards. Volkanovski ducks into a takedown attempt, but Lopes stuffs it.
Volkanovski works behind the jab. A couple of punches land down the pipe for Lopes. Jab for Volkanovski, avoids a punch and then another punch.
Lopes connects now with a grazing punch to the eye and then a big uppercut. Volkanovski under fire and backs up hurt, pawing at his eye. Not clear if that’s an eye-poke issue, but the fight continues anyway.
Volkanovski continues to back up and manages to weather the storm as Lopes opts not to empty the tank trying to capitalize on that big moment.
Volkanovski back behind the jab. Final seconds of the round and Lopes lands again and has Volkanovski on the defensive.
Round Five
Early exchange. Volkanovski works the jab. Low kick from Volkanovski, but Lopes gets a right hand. Missed wheel kick from Lopes.
Elbow from Volkanovski. Jabs for the former champ. Calf kick for Lopes. Solid one-two from Volkvanovski. Right hand for Lopes. Volkanovski with a brief clinch and knee.
Solid left hook for Volkanovski. He tries for a takedown, but it’s stuffed and he throws a knee.
Jab for Volkanovski. Now a punch from Lopes. Hard one-two for Volkanovski. Low kick for Lopes. Jab for Volk. He connects again. Calf kick for Lopes.
Look at the clock from Volkanovski. Over a minute left. Three-piece combo from Lopes. He’s pressing forward with more urgency now. He lands a flurry of punches to the body.
Lopes aggressively pushing forward with strikes but not landing. Volkanovski lands a punch. Volkanovski tries for a foot sweep but doesn’t work out. Volkanovski backing away late in the round, but then stops to land a nice right hand. Lopes lands a final punch.
Decision
Lopes started slowly in the fight, while Volkanovski looked crisp with his striking and movement. However, things heated up when he got dropped by Lopes late in the second round. And Lopes gradually continued to grow into the fight as time went on and had Volkanovski in trouble at times, particularly in the 4th round. Volkanovski was still the more active and calculated of the two overall though and it’s he who emerges with a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 49-46 x2) to win back the featherweight title.
