Alexander Volkanovski Dedicating UFC 325 Fight to Australian Fans in Historic Sydney Homecoming
Alexander Volkanovski will defend his UFC featherweight championship on home soil for the first time in his career when he faces Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney on February 1. The Australian champion has waited nearly eight years to fight in Sydney, with his last appearance in the city coming in 2017 when he defeated Shane Young.
Alexander Volkanovski Dedicates UFC 325 to Australian Fans
In an interview with ESPN Australia, Volkanovski revealed the uncertain path that led to this historic homecoming. The champion initially expected to fight in December and had called out Movsar Evloev after his most recent bout. However, the UFC had different plans in mind.
“Originally, I thought I was going to fight in December. I did call for like Movsar Evloev and all that after his fight, so we were thinking it could be that,” Volkanovski said. “Then next thing we knew, they were mentioning maybe Diego, and they mentioned maybe Sydney. I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.’ Then they told me February and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll wait for that. I’ll wait for Sydney,’ because I did want to fight sooner, but if it’s going to be in Sydney, it’s got to happen.”
The matchmaking process faced several complications. Volkanovski acknowledged that both Evloev and Lerone Murphy were more deserving title contenders based on their undefeated records. Murphy earned a spectacular spinning back elbow knockout of Aaron Pico at UFC 319, while Evloev holds an unblemished 19-0 record. However, Evloev withdrew from a scheduled bout against Pico, which Volkanovski suggested cost him the immediate title opportunity.
The Sydney event nearly fell through entirely. “Then I was getting told that maybe it wasn’t going to happen. I’m like, ‘Oh, I would’ve already fought if that was the case,'” Volkanovski explained. “And they’re like, ‘Well, let me get one more crack, make it happen.’ They made it happen. So I’m very, very happy that they got to do this, not only for me, but for the Aussie fans. Australia, but Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney’s had a few events, now they get to have me fighting and defending my belt here. I think it’s going to be massive, and I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s excited for this one. Well, I hope not.”
The fight marks a rematch from UFC 314 in April 2025, where Volkanovski captured the vacant featherweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Lopes in Miami. That fight earned Fight of the Night honors after five rounds of action that saw Volkanovski outland Lopes 165-71 in total strikes, though Lopes did score a knockdown. At 36 years old, Volkanovski became the oldest fighter under 155 pounds to win a UFC championship.
Lopes earned his rematch with a violent second-round knockout of Jean Silva at Noche UFC in September, landing a spinning elbow followed by ground strikes. The victory snapped Silva’s 13-fight winning streak and demonstrated Lopes’ finishing ability.
UFC 325 takes place at Qudos Bank Arena, Australia’s largest indoor arena located at Sydney Olympic Park. The event represents the UFC’s eighth visit to Sydney and first since UFC 312 in February 2025. That previous event set Australian records with a gate revenue of $12.3 million and generated $24.6 million in direct economic activity.
For the 37-year-old Volkanovski from Windang in New South Wales, the fight carries special significance beyond championship implications. He has fought in Australia only once since February 2023, when he challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in Perth. That UFC 284 event showcased the electric atmosphere Australian crowds create, with fans singing “Down Under” during Volkanovski’s walkout.
The champion expressed confidence about making a statement in front of his home fans. “What would he have learned from the first fight? Is he going to try and be more patient and try and out-strategise me and all that? I don’t think so,” Volkanovski said of Lopes in an ESPN interview. “I mean, that’s not how he fights and that’s just going to work in my favour.”
