The UFC also confirmed that UFC 325 will take place in Sydney, Australia, one week after UFC 324. The event is slated to be headlined by Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Diego Lopes in a rematch. That matchup gives the featherweight division an immediate championship focal point and gives Volkanovski a high-profile homecoming. With two numbered events announced in quick succession, the UFC’s 2026 schedule now has a clear early-year structure.
The UFC has officially confirmed a featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes as the main event of UFC 325, scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia.
Volkanovski, known as "The Great," returns to his home country to defend the featherweight championship in what shapes up as one of the most anticipated homecoming bouts in recent UFC history. The 37-year-old Australian carries a record of 28-4-0 and holds the number three spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. Standing five-foot-six with a 71-inch reach, Volkanovski is one of the most precise strikers in the sport, landing nearly six significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate. He also mixes in an active grappling game, averaging 1.63 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Lopes enters the rematch ranked seventh in the featherweight division with a record of 28-8-0. The 31-year-old Brazilian out of Lobo Gym MMA stands five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, giving him a notable size advantage over the champion. He lands 3.83 significant strikes per minute and brings a more submission-oriented approach to his fights, averaging 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes — a threat that complicates Volkanovski's path to a straightforward striking contest.
Why it matters
- Volkanovski defends his featherweight title on home soil in Sydney, raising the stakes beyond the division itself
- A Lopes victory would mark a second crack at the belt for the seventh-ranked Brazilian and reshape the 145-pound landscape
- The size and style contrast — a pressure striker versus a longer, submission-minded challenger — creates genuine tactical complexity
- UFC 325 arrives one week after UFC 324, giving the promotion two high-profile numbered events in rapid succession to anchor its early 2026 calendar
