The UFC returns to Sydney, Australia in February and brings one of Australia’s biggest stars with it.
Alexander Volkanovski (27-4) will face Diego Lopes (27-7) for the second time in the main event of UFC 325, which takes place on February 1, 2026 in Sydney, Australia (that’s January 31 for much of the world). UFC officials announced the date on Thursday, with promotion CEO and president Dana White unveiling the main event, in addition to a number of UFC 324 matches.
Volkanovski and Lopes met for the first time earlier this year, battling for the title that Ilia Topuria vacated when he opted to move up to lightweight. The Australian won the fight at UFC 315 by unanimous decision to regain his featherweight title.
During his first championship reign, Volkanovski defended the UFC featherweight championship five times, defeating the likes of Max Holloway, Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. A pair of failed attempts to win the lightweight title from Islam Makhachev were mixed into that streak, before Volkanovski was knocked out by Topuria and lost his 145-pound strap.
Lopes bounced back from his loss to Volkanovski by defeating Jean “Lord” Silva at Noche UFC in September, earning a Performance of the Night bonus, as well as Fight of the Night for the TKO finish with a spinning elbow.
The UFC 325 main event could be quite a blow for Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, both of whom had gained recognition as viable contenders in the division.
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