UFC 314 Alex Volkanovski defeats Diego Lopes, reclaims belt in historic win
Aussie Alex Volkanovski has rewritten the UFC record books, winning an epic title fight to reclaim his belt and become champ again.
Alex Volkanovski has broken one of UFC’s most feared curses, defeating Diego Lopes in an epic fight to reclaim his featherweight belt at age 36.
The Australian dominated the early stages of the fight at UFC 314 at Miami but Lopes had his moments too, knocking Volkanovski down and landing some brutal punches throughout the fight.
UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes | SUN 13 APRIL | Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski looks to become a two-time World Champion as he takes on Brazil’s Diego Lopes for the vacant Undisputed Featherweight title. Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Volkanovski had to contend with several cuts around his eyes that hindered his vision but in a vintage performance he accumulated countless jabs and shots to give him the edge on the scorecard.
Watch the highlights from Volkanovski’s win in the video above
The fight went the full five rounds and the judges awarded Volkanovski the victory via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-47×2).
The Aussie was emotional as the featherweight belt was wrapped around his waist, declaring: “It’s good to be back. Adversity is a privilege.”
Volkanovski was attempting to become a two-time ruler of the featherweight division, and it has been a long road back for the former rugby league footballer following his back-to-back knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
The 36-year-old was also combating a fight curse that got tongues wagging this week since it was pointed out all fighters in the UFC’s men’s divisions below welterweight have lost their title fights when competing aged 35 or above.
But Volkanovski managed to not only beat the UFC’s old man curse, he also overcame the ‘Drake curse’ after the rapper bet half a million on him winning.
Elsewhere on the stacked card, England’s Paddy Pimblett announced himself as a contender for the lightweight title with a breakout performance against Michael Chandler.
Originally published as UFC 314 Alex Volkanovski defeats Diego Lopes, reclaims belt in historic win
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