MIAMI — “Old Man Volk” still has it.
Alexander Volkanovski delivered a vintage performance to reclaim the featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Lopes on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 314 at the Kaseya Center. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47.
With the win, Volkanovski became the first fighter over age 35 to win a world title fight in a weight class under 170 pounds. And he did it with a performance that signaled a return to form for the fighter who dominated the 145-pound division from 2016 to 2023 and cemented himself as a Hall of Famer with a trio of wins over Max Holloway. However, a pair of knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria had people questioning if his best years were behind him.
Instead, Volkanovski, 36, delivered a vintage performance, albeit one that tested his confidence when he had to pull himself off the canvas after being dropped late in the second round. Instead of folding, Volkanovski steadied himself and utilized movement and an accurate jab to turn back a surging challenger in Lopes.
The opportunity arose for Volkanovski to reclaim the featherweight title when Topuria decided to vacate and move up to lightweight. Although the fighter out of New South Wales, Australia, had lost consecutive fights by knockout, his body of work earned him the title opportunity.
Volkanovski won the early striking exchanges against Lopes, planting a left hand that buckled his opponent’s knees in the first and landing counter right hands.
Just as it appeared the fight was getting away from Lopes in the second round, he put Volkanovski down with a right hand to the temple. But Volkanovski weathered the storm and got back on the horse, though he was wary of Lopes’ right hand, which had proved to be dangerous.
Volkanovski refused to fold under the increasing pressure of Lopes and circled away while firing the jab over the next 15 minutes. Lopes would occasionally bait him into exchanges, but Volkanovski pulled himself out of the fire before he was burned.
