At UFC 314 in Miami’s Kaseya Center, Alexander Volkanovski rose from the ashes to reclaim his featherweight crown. The Aussie edged out Diego Lopes in a grueling, back-and-forth battle. But make no mistake! This wasn’t your typical championship comeback. At 36 years old, Volkanovski wasn’t just fighting for gold. He was fighting the weight of history. Before him, 17 fighters aged 35 and older between 125lbs and 155lbs had tried and failed to claim victory in a championship bout. The so-called ‘over 35’ curse loomed large. But Volk? He shattered it and made history as the only two-time undisputed 145lbs champion.

Over the course of five electrifying rounds, Volkanovski reminded the world why he’s called ‘The Great.’ With his trademark footwork, tireless gas tank, and unrelenting output, he kept the pressure on from start to finish. Lopes showed plenty of heart and toughness, but he couldn’t keep up with the relentless rhythm Volkanovski set. When the final horn sounded, the verdict was clear. The judges returned scores of 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46—all in favor of Volkanovski, sealing his triumphant return to the top.

But what exactly did the Brazilian fighter do wrong in the clash? Well, according to Xtreme Couture head honcho Eric Nicksick, he tried to use his technique against the best in the division. The coach sat down for a chat on the JAXXON Podcast with Dan Ige, TJ Dillashaw, and Bear Degidio. During the conversation, Nicksick pointed out how the Brazilian should have gone about the business to win the fight.

He said, “I did my breakdown for the UFC and I called it chaos vs. order, right? So it’s Volkanovski’s order. He is going to try to keep things calm and technical. The way he wants it. And Diego is the one who needed to create chaos and take Volkanovski out of his element. And that’s where I thought Diego had his best chance. And then where you saw him thrive, cause he made things chaotic. Right, so Dan said he did try to get away with that. He tried to out technique the technician, and it didn’t work out for him.” 

Sean Strickland’s coach is not the only one who has pointed out the mistakes made by Lopes. The Brazilian fighter entered the fight with a lot of hype surrounding him. The 30-year-old earned his title shot the hard way but failed to win the most important fight of his career. One of his biggest fans is UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. However, the 57-year-old was not only upset with his loss but also analyzed the mistakes the Brazilian made in the fight.

Joe Rogan feels Diego Lopes should have made a few changes in his game plan at UFC 314

Diego Lopes’ journey to the top wasn’t without its stumbles. He tasted early disappointment with a loss on Dana White’s Contender Series and another in his UFC debut against Movsar Evloev. But instead of fading, Lopes found his footing and his fire. The Brazilian featherweight stormed back with a dominant five-fight win streak. That red-hot run catapulted him into title contention and set the stage for the biggest moment of his career: A shot at the vacant featherweight belt against Alexander Volkanovski.

As Lopes stepped into the biggest fight of his life, one lingering question followed him: Could his gas tank hold up? Facing Volkanovski, a cardio machine known for his relentless pressure and championship endurance, the challenge was amplified. During the live broadcast—later uploaded by TNT Sports on YouTube—Joe Rogan took a closer look at where things unraveled while sitting beside fellow commentator Daniel Cormier.

He said, “It’s the lack of level changes, the zero attempted takedowns, the lack of calf kicks, and just always looking for the home run. You didn’t see a lot of jabs out of him…didn’t see a lot of shifting movement, a lot of faints. You saw pressure—constant pressure.”

Well, for Lopes, this would be a learning curve, and hopefully, he can learn from it. And for Volkanovski, this was a statement by him that age is nothing but a number. What do you feel about the performance of the champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.