UFC 325 only reinforced why Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 was so unnecessary

In Diego Lopes’ much-debated sequel against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325, there wasn’t an engaging plot. He didn’t bring a whole lot new to the table for the return fight in Australia. When he got hit, which was often enough, he still nodded approval at Volkanovski’s timing. And when he got stung with bigger shots, he still smiled a good-natured smile as if to say, “Good one there, fella.”

There were no flukes to be found, though. Volkanovski outclassed Lopes for the second time in nine months for five straight rounds, confounding him with footwork and hand speed, stance switches and bewitching level changes. The first fight offered more drama because Lopes hadn’t introduced patience to his headhunting. This time desperation showed up late to the party, after “Volk” had run up a sizable lead. Yet whenever Lopes tried to activate the kill switch that he got Jean Silva with back in September, Volkanovski played the sweetest chin music to ever be heard outside the Sydney Opera House.

Advertisement

Did we really need to see Volkanovski-Lopes II? Given that the first one wasn’t a box office hit?

That was the question coming in, especially with two perfectly good contenders in Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy idling through the winter months. The answer, which came clear on a Sunday morning in Australia, was no. Giving Lopes a mulligan was a UFC preference as the promotion kicks off the Paramount+ era because the Brazilian/Mexican fighter was more marketable than the others. Lopes has the look and mindset of a warrior, and his B-roll checks out. Evloev hasn’t smiled since the third grade, when he got caught sticking an extra “a” in spelling the word Ordzhonikidzevskaya.

What’s perhaps the most unsung element of this was Volkanovski upholding his duty without griping too loudly. When you’re asked to go beat a guy a second time that you handled with relative ease the first time, that would seem to suggest the UFC didn’t get the desired result. As a byproduct of that setup, all the motivation belongs to the challenger, who finds himself in the rare spot to right a wrong.

Advertisement

Rather than read too deeply into things, Volkanovski took in all the talks of his retirement and advanced age (of 37) and coolly went about business. It wasn’t an exact facsimile of the first fight, but once Volkanovski started to slam home those quick-tamping counters, it carried a familiar melody. He nullified Lopes’ reach advantage with precision in close and in-fight IQ. He punished every urge of aggression and made the breaks count. Each time they disengaged, it seemed “Volk” had the last word. Once he got into a rhythm, the futility of Lopes’ attack became clear.

It was Volkanovski’s job to take the drama of Lopes’ chances out of the equation, and that’s what he did.

And it was a thankless masterclass, because “Volk” was being asked to show proof of his original work. It’s hard to make a giant leap in the pound-for-pound conversation when you’re merely reiterating a piece of business, showing that the first time wasn’t a fluke. Yet there was at least a reminder of how brilliant Volkanovski is, and just how difficult he can be to deal with. It’s not just in efficient striking and his ability to dictate terms, it’s in his strength. In the scrambles, he was able to explode through Lopes’ body and end up where he wanted. At one point, he stood up along the fence with Lopes on his shoulders, as if to give him a piggyback ride.