Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his UFC featherweight title, earning a second straight unanimous 49-46, 49-46, 50-45 decision win over Diego Lopes to close out UFC 325 in Sydney.
The sequel was very similar to the original, with Volkanovski using his footwork and elite fundamentals to constantly intercept Lopes as he came forward and frequently land the cleaner, heavier shots.
As in their first meeting at UFC 314, Lopes had moments, dropping the champion with a short right hook in the third and chasing an armbar late in the contest, but he just couldn’t close the gap often enough to unseat “Alexander the Great” at home in Australia.
All three judges scored the fight in favor of Volkanovski, who tied Jose Aldo with his eighth UFC featherweight title fight victory, adding to his already stellar legacy.
This was another masterclass in Fight IQ, game planning, and tactical execution, and if Volk really does want to keep going, there are a couple very interesting matchups that await him.
The 37-year-old is now the UFC’s second-oldest male champion behind Alex Pereira.
Benoît Saint Denis defeated Dan Hooker by TKO (strikes) at 4:45 of Round 2
Saint Denis maintained his 100 percent finishing rate and collected his fourth straight stoppage win, mauling Hooker in the co-main event to keep climbing in the lightweight ranks.
Hooker actually started well, stabbing Saint Denis with front kicks to the midsection, but as soon as France’s “God of War” was able to bring the fight to the canvas, the momentum shifted.
After finding success in the back half of the first round, Saint Denis dominated the second, clobbering Hooker from top position in between hunting for submissions, opening him up and eventually forcing the stoppage with a torrent of unanswered blows from mount.
That’s now four straight finishes for the 30-year-old marauder, who remains one of the most must-see competitors on the roster. He was close to title contention heading into 2024 and he’s back there again now. A massive opportunity awaits no matter who the UFC decides to give him next.
Quillan Salkilld defeated Jamie Mullarkey by submission (face crank) at 3:02 of Round 1
Salkilld showcased his grappling prowess in the first start of his sophomore season, taking Mullarkey down early, scrambling back to his feet when the veteran returned the favor, and working to the back off a tremendous throw midway through the first. From there, Salkilld quickly attacked the finish, torquing Mullarkey’s neck at a gnarly angle until the Australian tapped.
That’s now four starts, four wins, and three finishes out of the gates for the 26-year-old, who is already closing in on the longest winning streak in the division and called for an opportunity to face a Top 15 opponent next. Just an absolutely outstanding showing for the Perth man to open the main card.
Tallison Teixeira defeated Tai Tuivasa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Teixeira survived a third-round push from Tuivasa, making it to the final horn and collecting a unanimous decision victory, much to the dismay of the partisan crowd in Sydney.
In each of the first two rounds, the towering Brazilian was able to put Tuivasa on the canvas and control things, landing short shots while muting any potential offense from the powerful Australian.
In the third, “Bam Bam” was the fresher of the two and tried to chase down a finish, but was unable to do so, as Teixeira made it through to the horn.
When the scorecards were collected and totalled, Teixeira’s first two rounds were enough to secure him the victory and put him back into the win column. After going just 35 seconds in each of his first two UFC appearances, this was an absolute marathon for “Xicao,” who should climb in the rankings on the heels of this victory.
Mauricio Ruffy defeated Rafael Fiziev by TKO (strikes) at 4:30 fo Round 2
Ruffy returned to the win column in spectacular fashion, stopping Fiziev in the second round to punch his ticket to the Top 10 in the lightweight division.
Always judicious with his output, Ruffy started to have a little success late in the first round but continually allowed Fiziev to dictate the terms of engagement and control the tempo of the fight.
But shortly after the midway through the second, the 29-year-old drove a bolt of a right hand down the middle that put Fiziev on roller skates, and Ruffy never allowed him to recover, staying in his grill and pounding out the finish.
This was a massive bounce-back win for Ruffy following a lopsided loss to Benoit Saint Denis last September in Paris. He spent the last several months training with Alexander Volkanovski and the City Kickboxing crew in order to take his game to the next level, and the immediate returns look good.
Lawrence Lui (29-28, 29-28) defeated Sulangrangbo (29-28) by split decision
Sulangrangbo and Lui opened the action at UFC 325, battling it out in the Road to UFC season 4 bantamweight finale.
The 20-year-old Chinese fighter opened well, landing the heavier, more immediately impactful blows in the opening round before Lui was able to have more success mixing up his weapons in the middle stanza.
In the third, the forward pressure and consistent attacks from Lui dictated the action, with Sulangranbo again landing good shots, but simply being limited in his overall output.
When the scorecards were collected and tallied, it was Lui that came out on the happy side of the split decision, punching his ticket to the UFC and giving City Kickboxing their first win on the evening.
Now 8-1 as a professional, Lui feels primed to follow a similar trajectory as his teammate Navajo Stirling as he joins him on the UFC roster.
Keiichiro Nakamura defeated Sebastian Szalay by TKO (knee) 3:48 of Round 3
What a comeback win! Nakamura was down two rounds and only a couple minutes away from seeing his UFC dreams delayed, only to find a finish of Sebastian Szalay and claim the Road to UFC featherweight tournament.
Szalay got out ahead of his Japanese counterpart over the first two round, using good movement and greater volume to keep Nakamura off balance and out of rhythm. But with Szalay tiring in the third, Nakamura started to have greater success and late in the final round, he drive a standing knee into the chin of his Australian foe, sending him crashing to the canvas in a heap.
Just an amazing moment for Nakamura, who was 72 seconds way from sure defeat. He won his opening round bout with a stepping knee and flashed that weapon again here to earn the biggest win of his career.
Dom Mar Fan defeated Kim Sang Wook by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dom Mar Fan closed out Season 4 of Road to UFC by claiming victory in the lightweight finale, mixing things up nicely over three rounds to score the unanimous decision win over Sang Wook.
Mar Fan did well to chip away with little shots whenever Sang Wook looked to grapple in both the first and second rounds, scoring with elbows in tight and long-range attacks when they were in space. They got a little feistier and looser with things in the third, with both men landing solid shots and showing a little more of their personality along the way.
All three judges scored the fight in favor of Mar Fan, who remained undefeated in bouts where he’s not facing Salkilld. The Team Compton representative now joins his teammate Tom Nolan in the UFC lightweight ranks.
Kaan Ofli defeated Yizah by majority decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28)
Make it two straight for “Genghis” Kaan Ofli, who landed on the happy side of the scorecards in a competitive bout with Road to UFC Season 2 featherweight winner Yizha.
Yizha was the more successful of the two in the second before his pace fell off and Ofli was the more active and effective of the two over the final five minutes, sending things to the scorecards with the outcome uncertain.
The judges were once again tasked with determining the victor and when the tens and nines were added up, it was Ofli that came out ahead, with all three officials giving him the first and third.
It was a good win for the Ultimate Fighter Season 32 finalist, though a decision that felt a little puzzling, especially with the 28-28 draw.
Jonathan Micallef defeated Oban Elliott by Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:31 of Round 2
Jonathan Micallef was getting touched up for much of the first half of his fight with Oban Elliott, but all the Australian needed was one takedown in order to work to the back and choke out “The Welsh Gangster.”
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’24, the 26-year-old is definitely one to watch in the welterweight division.
Jacob Malkoun defeated Torrez Finney by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
There were no signs of rust from Jacob Malkoun as the Sydney man made his first start in two years and delivered dominant effort against Torrez Finney.
“Mamba” pieced up Finney on the feet for much of the first, stinging him a couple different times before taking a calculated risk and chasing a guillotine choke towards the end of the frame.
It was more of the same in the second, with Malkoun continuing to pop Finney with jabs before a sharp right down the pipe put him on the deck, where he was able to rough him up more. Things slowed in the third, but Malkoun remained in charge, with Finney offering very little in return through to the final bell.
It was a clean sweep of the scorecards for the Sydneysider, who picked up his second straight win in his return to action.
The 30-year-old believes he’s poised to make a run in the middleweight division, and this was certainly a step in the right direction.
Cam Rowston defeated Cody Brundage by TKO (strikes) at 4:08 of Round 2
Fighting in his hometown of Sydney for the first time in nine years, Cam Rowston collected his second straight UFC victory, working over Cody Brundage and pounding out the finish, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.
Once he got Brundage to the canvas in the second, the City Kickboxing man really opened up, working the American veteran over with a steady barrage of unanswered blows until the referee called a halt to the action.
With tremendous size for the division and an outstanding team behind him, Rowston seems poised to make some noise in the 185-pound ranks going forward
Billy Elekana defeated Junior Tafa by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:18 of Round 2
Elekana navigated some dangerous waters in the opening round against Tafa in the final preliminary card bout of UFC 325, taking him down in the second and quickly wrapping up a second straight submission win.
But in the second, the light heavyweight sophomore stung Tafa with a crisp combination, quickly dragging him to the canvas soon after where he was able to work to the back, lace up the choke and secure the finish.
