Diego Lopes Drops Ego, Builds Private Gym Ahead of Alexander Volkanovski Rematch
Diego Lopes has set up a private gym to train for his UFC 325 title rematch against Alexander Volkanovski. This time, Lopes does not want to leave any stone unturned and has his crosshairs on the featherweight gold.
Volkanovski and Lopes fought last year at UFC 314 for the vacant 145-pound gold. Before the fight, fans thought that since the Australian had suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, he would share the same fate against Lopes. But ‘The Great’ fought a well-calculated bout, stayed outside Lopes’ firing zone, and in the end cruised to a unanimous decision win to reclaim the UFC featherweight championship.
Fans expected Volkanovski to face Lerone Murphy or Movsar Evloev next, but the UFC had other plans.
Alexander Volkanovski has not entered the octagon after reclaiming the title at UFC 314. Lopes, on the other hand, returned to winning ways in September 2025 against Jean Silva. Now, ahead of the title rematch, to stay focused, the Brazilian has invested in a private gym for himself and his team to avoid all kinds of distractions. In an interview with MAIN EVENT, he said:
“I had ego when I fought Volk in April. I thought I didn’t need to fix anything in my training, but after the fight I saw many things weren’t good in my training camp. I got a private gym for only me and my team to avoid distractions.”
Check out Diego Lopes’ comments below:
Diego Lopes reveals one big mistake he made at UFC 314
During the same sit-down mentioned above, Diego Lopes revealed that against Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 314, he was chasing a one-punch finish. While Lopes managed to land a few good shots, it was not enough as ‘The Great’ found the perfect moment to back down every time and recover.
The 31-year-old admitted that chasing the one-punch knockout was a mistake that cost him the bout. He said:
“In the first fight I only tried to finish him with one big punch. I forgot many things in that fight. I forgot the best thing in my life, which is to enjoy the moment, and when I enjoy the moment, I’m the most dangerous guy in the division.”
Check out Diego Lopes’ comments below:
