Alexander Volkanovski has just reclaimed his position as the featherweight champion after defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 314. And now, he is in a position where he can choose his next opponents. No doubt, the Australian champ wanted to take the fight to a celebrated and feared fighter. But who’s that? We’ll find that out in today’s episode of MMA News Roundup. 

After taking a look at Volkanovski’s challenge, we’ll listen to his former opponent, Lopes. After all, the Brazilian has finally shown his stance following the UFC 314 loss. And finally, we’ll see what Paul Hughes has to say about his next fight. So, let’s get right into it!

Alexander Volkanovski targets Movsar Evloev’s undefeated status

During his conversation with Ariel Helwani on his YouTube talk show, Alexander Volkanovski expressed his desire to fight Movsar Evloev. The Russian is currently on a 19-fight win streak with absolutely no defeats in his record. And that’s what attracted Volkanovski towards the #4 featherweight contender. ‘The Great’ claimed that Evloev was in a position where he actually deserved the title shot. He’s already fought and defeated the likes of Aljamain Sterling, Diego Lopes, and Arnold Allen. No doubt, he’s a formidable fighter. 

Volkanovski said, “I do like that undefeated record… I’d love to take that 0, especially for legacy and where I’m at… Movsar, I think is still gonna be up there, I can see him being a problem for a while. I go take him out and he keeps building his resume, to have that name on my resume would be good.” However, he felt bad for Yair Rodriguez. With both Rodriguez and Evloev in the picture, Volkanovski was caught in a dilemma. He claimed, “But then, I feel bad Yair. I’ve already fought him… It’s a tricky one, but I don’t want to say no because I like the guy.”

As Volkanovski finalizes his next opponent and gets ready for his title defense, let’s visit Brazil and have a talk with Lopes. It seems like the #2 featherweight contender has finally accepted his fate. 

Diego Lopes breaks silence after disappointing UFC 314 loss

Lopes recently appeared in an exclusive interview with Danny Segura from Hablemos MMA. Therein, the Brazilian star said, “Sometimes you can do everything perfect, and it’s still not enough, and that’s exactly what happened. It wasn’t enough. So that moment that you saw me crying was because of that. I did everything well, but it wasn’t enough for me to get the belt. I vented, and I cried, but soon after that I was already smiling and laughing. I’m happy with everything I’ve achieved.”

But do you know what went wrong at UFC 314? Needless to say, Lopes and his team prepared a game plan for the Australian. They watched his fights and noticed the trends. However, when they entered the Octagon, Volkanovski came forth with a completely different strategy. He admitted that his team was so involved in making a game plan that they forgot about the new tricks that Volkanovski could bring to the table.

Now, let’s shift our focus to the Professional Fighters League. Yes, it’s all about the lightweight division rematch between Hughes and Usman Nurmagomedov. 

Paul Hughes demands a rematch against Usman Nurmagomedov

During a conversation with MMA Junkie, Hughes pointed at his desire to fight Nurmagomedov. He lost the bid to become the new lightweight champion earlier this year, but he made the Russian look human. He said, “No question, that is the fight that everybody wants to see, and it is the fight that will happen. Probably at the end of this year. There’s no question there. He can try to delay it as long as he can, but his time will come.”

Now, Hughes said via PFL, “I’m going to get a first-round knockout, and then I want to rematch Usman Nurmagomedov.” But of course, he first has to rise victorious against Bruno Miranda this weekend. But can he actually beat him with a first-round KO? Guess we’ll have to see that for ourselves. 

What are your thoughts on the bout between Evloev and ‘The Great’? Do you think Lopes can defeat Volkanovski in a rematch? What do you think will happen in the rematch between Hughes and Nurmagomedov? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.