Initially, a rematch between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship seemed likely, but plans have changed. Dana White announced on Wednesday that Topuria will vacate his title to move up to lightweight, while No. 1 Volkanovski will face No. 3 Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight title.
This will be Volkanovski’s 10th straight title fight in a row. He is 6-3 in championship bouts but has only lost one bout at 145 pounds in his UFC career. In 2023, Volkanovski moved up to face the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and suffered two losses. Volkanovski last fought in February 2024, when Topuria knocked him out in the second round.
Although Volkanovski has lost three of his last four fights, he is the favorite at -155 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Lopes is on a five-fight win streak in the UFC and recently beat Brian Ortega at UFC 306. He is the underdog in this bout at +130. Lopes is much taller (5’11” vs. 5’6″) than Volk while having a more significant reach (72.5″ vs. 71.5″). This is a fantastic main event featuring two of the best strikers in the sport.
The big announcements didn’t stop there as No. 7 “Iron” Michael Chandler faces No. 9 Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett in a five-round co-main event bout. Pimblett is the favorite in this contest at -115, as Chandler is -105. He is coming off a first-round submission win against King Green at UFC 304. Chandler has lost four of his last five fights but is one of the most exciting lightweights in the UFC.
Also on UFC 314, former interim champion Yair Rodriguez is fighting Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in a featherweight fight. Pitbull is a former two-division Bellator champion. Rodriguez is on a two-fight losing streak and hasn’t picked up a victory since he beat Josh Emmett in February 2023.
