Alexander Volkanovski regained the UFC featherweight championship by defeating Diego Lopes in a challenging five-round fight at UFC 314, despite facing a knockdown and potentially breaking his hand, with future matchups against contenders like Movsar Evloev and Jean Silva on the horizon.
Alexander Volkanovski is once again the UFC featherweight champion. This massive achievement didn’t come easy, though.
“The Great” went toe-to-toe with Diego Lopes for five intense rounds at UFC 314 last Saturday. Despite a convincing decision win, Volkanovski faced a knockdown scare in the second round and had to endure Lopes’ relentless grit throughout the fight. In the end, he was awarded a vacant belt, marking his return as a two-time UFC titleholder.
His head coach, Joe Lopez, revealed that Volkanovski dealt with a hand issue early in the bout. This injury might sideline him for some time.
“He might have broken his hand,” Lopez shared with Submission Radio. “We need an X-ray to confirm it, but he definitely hurt his hand.”
Lopez couldn’t pinpoint when Volkanovski first mentioned the pain. However, he suspects it was significant since Volkanovski brought it up. Thankfully, the fight didn’t cause more severe damage to Volkanovski’s health.
“I think it happened earlier in the fight,” Lopez said. “Alex only mentioned it at the end, saying, ‘I think I busted my hand.’ I can’t recall which round.”
Volkanovski also has a sore foot and is nursing bumps and bruises from the five-round war. After such battles, soreness is inevitable.
With Volkanovski back on top and former champ Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight, the featherweight division is wide open. Fresh challengers are lining up for the Australian star. Lopez noted Volkanovski’s desire to settle scores with Topuria after their encounter at UFC 298.
“It’s not our call,” Lopez said. “It’s up to Ilia and the UFC. I’m sure they’d love that fight given Volk’s recent performance. Volk wants it back—it’s a pride thing. You lose something you thought you had; you want it back. But again, that’s up to Ilia and those in charge.”
A rematch isn’t likely soon with other contenders waiting. Movsar Evloev remains undefeated and ready for his chance, while Jean Silva emerged as another candidate after defeating Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314.
Lopez addressed these potential opponents.
“Realistically, [Evloev] deserves it, but there was no buzz about him at the presser,” Lopez said. “Everyone focused on Yair [Rodriguez] and others instead. It’s sad because he’s unbeaten and on a roll. If anyone deserves a shot, it’s him—but that’s up to those in charge.”
Regarding Silva: “He’ll be a contender soon,” Lopez noted. “Probably two or three fights away from being up there. He’s on a good run—a character and respectful guy too. Maybe missing something upstairs—but that’s just him.”