This past Saturday in the main event of UFC 325, we saw a rematch for the featherweight title. Champion Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) was taking on Diego Lopes (27-8) for a second time.
Make no mistake about it, Diego Lopes is one of the best featherweights in the world. However, I was really struggling with the idea of him getting a rematch against Volkanovski so quickly. These two fought in April of last year and Volkanovski dominated that fight.
Lopes bounced back extremely well with a stoppage over Jean Silva, but it didn’t feel like there had been enough time to warrant him getting another shot at the title. Well, the UFC gave him the shot and he had his opportunity at gold on Saturday night.
That said, once again, Lopes fell short. He was just outclassed technically by Alexander Volkanovski and Lopes never found sustained success in their fight. In the end, it was another lopsided decision win for the champion over Diego Lopes.
What’s next after UFC 325?
Diego Lopes might be a future UFC champion, but there is no way that he gets another shot at the title as long as Volkanovski is the champion. Lopes needs to get another big win or two and he needs to hope that Volkanovski either loses or retires.
In terms of Lopes’ next fight, I think it’s finally time for him and Yair Rodriguez to settle their beef. There is serious beef between the two featherweight contenders and a fight between them makes a ton of sense. Rodriguez is recovering from a recent injury and when he’s ready to return, Lopes should be the fight.
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