Saturday repeat of fascinating UFC showdown between Volkanovski and Lopes -

Less than a year after facing off for the vacant featherweight title in Miami, two-time champion Alexander Volkanovski makes the first defense of his second reign against the man he beat in order to reclaim the throne–Diego Lopes–in a sequel that has the potential to surpass its predecessor.

The UFC 325 touches down at Qudos Bank Arena with a stellar card headlined by the fascinating featherweight championship rematch between the duo.

Volkanovski is one of the best fighters of his generation, without question, and one of the greatest of all-time; a technical master with insane Fight IQ, tons of moxie and mettle, and a resume that will hold up exceptionally well through the years.

There is nothing the 37-year-old does that flies off the screen, but that’s the beauty of his game; it’s all about the elite preparation, razor-sharp fundamentals, and ability to adjust on the fly as the situation calls for it that make him such a tremendous champion.

Not yet in his fourth year on the roster, Lopes is fighting for the title for a second time, having gotten himself back in the win column last September with a second-round stoppage win over Jean Silva at Noche UFC in an electric fight that showcased what makes him so incredibly dangerous and entertaining.

Traditionally a fast starter that can threaten in every phase, the Brazilian challenger will look to spoil Volkanovski’s homecoming and put a quick end to his second run atop the featherweight division here.

Rematches are endlessly fascinating because both individuals have first-hand experience to draw from the second time around.

While Lopes definitely feels like the kind of competitor that will benefit greatly from having been through this once before — he seemed a little “deer in the headlines” at the outset of their UFC 314 clash — Volkanovski is one of the most experienced champions in the fold and has shown time and again that he’s able to give you new looks each time out.

The featherweight division is brimming with talent and primed to be front-and-center all year, and how this one plays out will chart the course for the weight class for the remainder of 2026.

Dan Hooker vs Benoît Saint Denis

The ironic thing about last weekend’s main event being such an intense and entertaining battle is that we don’t have to wait very long to see a potential challenger for the clubhouse lead in the Fight of the Year race, as this pairing between Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis carries the same kind of “instant classic” potential.

Hooker has been one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the roster since shifting to the lightweight ranks nine years ago, posting an 11-5 record that includes memorable finishes and fights against Jim Miller, Gilbert Burns, Edson Barboza, Paul Felder, Dustin Poirier, Jalin Turner, and Mateusz Gamrot.

“The Hangman” makes a relatively quick turnaround after fighting towards the end of November in order to compete close to home and with designs on opening the year with an impressive win that solidifies his place in the rankings, setting him up for something delicious next time out.

After a down year in 2024, Saint Denis rebounded in emphatic fashion in 2025, aligning with coach Nicolas Ott and rattling off three straight stoppage wins to once again climb into the Top 10 in the lightweight division. The French standout needed just 16 seconds to dispatch Beneil Dariush at UFC 323 and now heads to Australia looking to maintain his momentum and make a push towards the Top 5.

I don’t think it’s being unreasonable to believe this could be a 15-minute slobberknocker that ends up as the clubhouse leader in the Fight of the Year race; both men are all-action fighters that are dangerous and durable, which is the perfect recipe. That being said, a quick end is in the cards as well, and no matter where this one falls between those two ends of the spectrum, it should be tremendously fun to watch.

Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy

The second of three lightweight bouts on Saturday’s main card in Sydney pits another two ranked talents against one another as No. 9 Rafael Fiziev squares off with No. 14 Mauricio Ruffy.

Fiziev began his 2025 campaign by replacing Hooker in a bout with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313, dropping a decision to “The Highlight” for a second time in three fights, though each was competitive and thoroughly entertaining. He bounced back in impressive fashion with a unanimous decision win over Ignacio Bahamondes in his adopted home nation of Azerbaijan in June, steadying himself in the division before a knee injury forced him out of an October assignment opposite Charles Oliveira in Rio de Janeiro.

One of the three Fighting Nerds in the Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’23 (along with Carlos Prates and Jean Silva), Ruffy entered last year with heaps of momentum and buzz before blasting King Green with a spinning wheel kick at UFC 313 that claimed the silver medal in our year-end countdown of our favorite knockouts of 2025. But he stumbled in September, venturing to Paris and running afoul of Saint Denis, prompting him to spend this camp in Thailand and Australia alongside Volkanovski and his team, bringing added intrigue to his return.

Will Fiziev build on his impressive effort in Baku, or can Ruffy return to the form that had him rocketing through the ranks in the early part of last year?

Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira

While most of the main card comes in at 155 pounds or below, Tai Tuivasa and Tallison Teixeira promise to bring some heavyweight thunder to the proceedings in this one.

Fighting for the first time in nearly 18 months, “Bam Bam” touches down in Sydney looking to halt a five-fight slide and recapture the form that produced stoppage wins over Greg Hardy, Augusto Sakai, and Derrick Lewis. The wildly popular Aussie is still just 32, has thunderous power and unexpected athleticism for someone of his stature, so a sudden return to form and 2026 renaissance is certainly not out of the question.

Teixeira made his promotional debut in Sydney last February after earning his place on the roster with a sub-two-minute knockout win on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). He blew through Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds, earning a Performance of the Night bonus and a chance to headline opposite Derrick Lewis in his sophomore appearance five months later, which didn’t go nearly as well.

It’s going to be an interesting year in the heavyweight division and this one will definitely factor into how things line up heading into Q2. Everyone is going to be jockeying for position in advance of the presumptive rematch between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, and a statement effort on either side could set the victor up for something noteworthy next time out.

Quillan Salkilld vs Jamie Mullarkey

The UFC 325 main card gets underway in the lightweight division with an all-Aussie battle between Perth’s Quillan Salkilld and Central Coast man Jamie Mullarkey.

Salkilld earned “Debut of the Year” in the UFC Honors and top spot in our staff poll of the top newcomers in 2025, sending him into his year with heaps of momentum, but a massive spotlight on him as well. After blasting Anshul Jubli in his UFC 312 debut in Sydney and surviving a grueling battle with Yanal Ashmouz four months later, Salkilld really made everyone sit up and take notice with his short-notice, first-round knockout win over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

Off for well over a year following consecutive knockout losses, Mullarkey returned to action in September in Perth, registering a unanimous decision win over Rolando Bedoya to get things moving in the right direction again. The 31-year-old tough out is 6-6 through his first dozen UFC appearances and looks to seize all of Salkilld’s momentum for himself to open his 2026 slate.

Originally scheduled to be a matchup between Salkilld and Rongzhu, this matchup feels more like a surprise quiz than that one, which had a “who advances to the next stage” feel to it. Mullarkey is a game veteran and not someone who goes away easily, and it will be interesting to see how the 26-year-old responds to such an assignment and the pressures that come with having such a tremendous rookie campaign.

The UFC 325 will also feature a number of preliminary match-ups.