UFC 325 FAQ: Could second defence vs. Lopes be Volkanovski’s swansong?

For the first time in several years, the UFC is holding back-to-back numbered events on consecutive weekends.

The organization kicked off its 2026 schedule this past weekend at UFC 324 in Las Vegas with Justin Gaethje beating Paddy Pimblett to win an interim lightweight title, and now the action heads to the other side of the world for UFC 325 in Australia, which is headlined by a featherweight title rematch.

The last time there were consecutive numbered events on back-to-back weekends was UFC 267 and UFC 268 back in late October and early November of 2021.

UFC 325 is headlined by a 145-pound championship rematch between reigning titleholder Alexander Volkanovski and returning challenger Diego Lopes.

Here’s what you need to know about the event…

When and where does it take place? UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 takes place in Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. For the local crowd, it’ll be a Sunday morning and afternoon event, but for North American audiences, it takes place Saturday, Jan. 31, with the main card set to begin at the usual 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Why the rematch? When the UFC 325 headline bout was booked, it was initially met with raised eyebrows. Not because it isn’t a championship-calibre clash, but rather because it's a matchup fans saw less than one year ago, and in Volkanovski’s most recent appearance, no less.

Volkanovski won a five-round unanimous decision over Lopes at UFC 314 this past April in the champ’s lone 2025 appearance. Lopes had a few solid moments in the fight, even dropping Volkanovski with a big punch at one point, but it was a clear enough decision that most fans and pundits thought Lopes would need at least a couple more wins to earn his way back to another shot at the title.

Think again.

A thrilling September technical knockout win over Jean Silva was all it took to bump Lopes back up to the front of the line as the UFC turned its focus to booking a rematch. Meanwhile, Volkanovski hasn’t fought since beating Lopes and had previously said that he figured his next defence would’ve been against either Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy, both of whom are undefeated in the UFC and closing in on earning a title shot. The UFC decided Lopes deserved another shot, and Volkanovski accepted the rematch.

When asked by Sportsnet in an interview last week what convinced him to rebook Volkanovski vs. Lopes so soon after the first fight, UFC president Dana White said with a chuckle: “The matchmakers. The matchmakers convinced me.”

Could this be Volkanovski’s final fight? On paper, a future Hall of Famer like Volk hanging up his gloves following a title defence in his home country would be a storybook ending to his terrific career. The 37-year-old still has plenty of fight left in him, however, so how he looks at UFC 325 and how he feels afterwards could determine what’s next for the two-time featherweight champion. There’s no shortage of compelling matchups waiting for him if he retains his belt and continues fighting.

When was the UFC last in Australia? The UFC is returning Down Under just four months after holding a Fight Night event in Perth at the end of September. This will be the eighth UFC event in Sydney. The most recent Sydney card was UFC 312, one year ago, which saw then-champion Dricus Du Plessis defend the middleweight title in a rematch against Sean Strickland. 

Who else is on the card? The main card features a pair of lightweight matchups that were tailor-made for fight fans who enjoy wild brawls and flashy techniques. Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis, two of the most violent lightweights in the sport, are in the co-main event, while striking specialists Rafael Fiziev and Mauricio Ruffy will look for the knockout. Rising lightweight talent Quillan Salkilld will open the main card against fellow Australian Jamie Mullarkey, who’s stepping up on short notice.

There are 11 fighters representing Australia and another three on the card from New Zealand. Projected UFC 325 bout order (subject to change) below:

MAIN CARD

-- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes

-- Dan Hooker vs. Benoit Saint Denis

-- Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy

-- Tai Tuivasa vs. Tallison Teixeira

-- Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey

PRELIMINARY CARD

-- Junior Tafa vs. Billy Elekana

-- Cameron Rowston vs. Cody Brundage

-- Jacob Malkoun vs. Torrez Finney

-- Jonathan Micallef vs. Oban Elliott

-- Kaan Ofli vs. Yi Zha

-- Sangwook Kim vs. Dom Mar Fan

-- Keiichiro Nakamura vs. Sebastian Szalay

-- Sulangrangbo vs. Lawrence Lui

-- Aaron Tau vs. Namsrai Batbayar