UFC 325 was announced for January 31 in Sydney, with Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Diego Lopes in a rematch. The promotion is returning to Australia a week after UFC 324, giving fans a major back-to-back stretch to start the year. Volkanovski vs. Lopes is a headline that keeps the featherweight title picture centered on two proven contenders. The booking also strengthens the UFC’s international schedule and sets up a major title fight for the division’s early-2026 narrative.
The UFC has officially booked a featherweight title rematch between champion Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for UFC 325, scheduled for January 31 in Sydney, Australia.
Volkanovski, 37, carries a 28-4-0 record into the contest and is fighting on home soil as the reigning featherweight champion and the number-three ranked pound-for-pound fighter on the roster. The Australian fights out of Freestyle Fighting Gym and brings one of the most refined striking games in the division, landing 5.99 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 57 percent. Standing five-foot-six with a 71-inch reach, he also contributes on the mat, averaging 1.63 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Lopes enters the rematch ranked seventh in the featherweight division with a 28-8-0 record. The 31-year-old Brazilian trains out of Lobo Gym MMA and presents a contrasting physical profile, standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach. He lands 3.83 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, and his ground game adds another dimension — he averages 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes, the highest rate between the two fighters.
The event is part of a remarkable back-to-back stretch for the promotion, arriving just one week after UFC 324.
Why it matters
- Volkanovski puts his featherweight title on the line in a rematch, raising the divisional stakes considerably
- A Lopes victory would hand the seventh-ranked contender the belt and reshape the 145-pound landscape heading deeper into 2026
- The size and reach advantage Lopes holds could make the stylistic contrast a compelling factor across five rounds
- The Sydney setting gives Volkanovski a significant home-crowd environment for what is a major title defense
