Dana White’s decision to book Diego Lopes in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski, after a knockout win over Jean Silva at UFC Noche last year, seems to have backfired. While the UFC expected the rematch to be better than their first encounter, that was not the case. Two former UFC champs have now given their thoughts on the UFC 325 main event, which explains what went wrong in the fight.

In the five-round showdown, ‘The Great’ showed clear levels, delivering an even more dominant performance than their first meeting. Despite getting dropped briefly by a check left hook, the Aussie stayed composed and cruised to victory without much trouble. Just like that, Dana White’s experiment to recreate an electric headliner like UFC 324 did not quite land, and Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo ended up noticing that. 

Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo discuss UFC 325 as Alexander Volkanovski cruises past Diego Lopes

“I think one of the biggest takeaways is that if Lopes is able to establish his wrestling, like actual takedowns and not just good work off his back, it could completely change him as a fighter, bro. Other than that, Volkanovski, bro, the lateral movement was on point. He was switch-kicking, switching stances, sticking and moving, pretty much what we thought he was going to do. He fought a smart fight against a guy who’s very dangerous early. He was just able to control the whole damn fight,” ‘Triple C’ said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

While Henry Cejudo praised the UFC 324 headliner, he felt Diego Lopes could have delivered a much better performance if he had mixed in more tools, especially takedowns. At the same time, it was clear Volkanovski relied on his movement to completely neutralize the Brazilian’s biggest shots.

Top Stories

Dana White’s Nightmare Continues as UFC 325 ‘Robbery’ and Paramount+ Issues Anger Fans

Alexander Hernandez Speaks Out Amid FBI Probe Following UFC 324 Fight Cancellation

“Rest in Peace”: Conor McGregor Joins Millions in Mourning Late ‘Home Alone’ Star Catherine O’Hara

Canadian MMA Veteran Matt MacGrath Dies at 46 After Cancer Battle

Khabib Nurmagomedov Names Fighters Who’ll Carry Forward His Legacy After Islam Makhachev

“Yeah, Henry, I saw the fight, and before the fight I saw a lot of things leading up. And correct me if I’m wrong, I saw Diego Lopes apologized to his corner because he wasn’t listening to them during the fight, where he said he came with a totally different game plan and was going to change. Watching the fight, I kind of felt like I saw the change, but it just didn’t work out,” ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ added on the podcast.

Lopes had promised in the build-up that he would push harder to knock out ‘The Great’ in front of his home crowd in Sydney. Instead, he stuck to a similar approach, struggling to cut the cage effectively as Volkanovski moved away. There were definitely instructions coming from his corner, but it is still unclear whether Lopes actually apologized or not. All in all, although neither former champs didn’t say it outright, their analysis implied that Dana White’s experiment for UFC 325 actually failed. 

Lopes later revealed a leg injury during the match apart from the bruises on his face which may have been the reason for him not moving as fast as expected, affecting his overall game plan.

Diego Lopes suffered a massive injury at UFC 325 

Following another major setback at the hands of Volkanovski, fans are already finding it difficult to picture Diego Lopes back in the title conversation. Now, an even bigger question mark hangs over the former 145-pound title challenger’s return, as he reportedly broke both of his feet during the fight.

After the bout, Lopes’ manager and Iridium Sports Agency CEO Jason House shared a photo on his Instagram story, writing, “Looks like we broke both feet.” The Sydney headliner later reposted the image, confirming the injury himself.

House later added more context, writing, “Some nights you’re at the afterparty, some nights you’re at the ER [Emergency Room]. But every morning I give thanks for the opportunity to live this life with my best friends.” With the 31-year-old now dealing with a serious injury, his return timeline remains uncertain, and there is growing doubt over whether he can make it back before the end of the year to face Yair Rodriguez in a grudge match. 

Now, with two losses against ‘Volk’ and a major injury setback, how do you see Diego Lopes’ future playing out in the 145-pound division? Let us know in the comments section below.