Diego Lopes believes he has ironed out the mistakes that cost him his first title shot as he prepares for a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski.
Lopes lost to ‘The Great’ over five rounds in the main event of UFC 314 in 2025.
They first met in Miami with the featherweight belt on the line, and now they are set to do it again later this month, this time in the champion’s backyard.
Lopes bounced back from that defeat with a spectacular knockout of Jean Silva, but even so, some questioned whether he deserved another shot at the title so soon.
The Brazilian is convinced he has figured out what went wrong and is ready to make things right when they meet again at UFC 325 on January 31.
Diego Lopes reflects on lack of takedowns against Alexander Volkanovski
Lopes thinks his lack of enjoyment in the Octagon played a part in his defeat at UFC 314.
Even though he managed to put Alexander Volkanovski under pressure at times, the Brazilian struggled to maintain any consistent success throughout the five-round fight.
Lopes is mostly known for his striking inside the UFC, but he also carries a strong submission game. However, that aspect never came into play during their first meeting.
In fact, it was Volkanovski who initiated more grappling exchanges. The Australian attempted eleven takedowns and landed one, while Lopes did not attempt any.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia’s Main Event, Lopes explained that Volkanovski’s approach made it difficult for him to find openings to use his grappling skills.
Lopes went on to praise the champion’s corner for keeping their fighter focused and disciplined throughout the match.
“For the first fight, I didn’t feel confident for the takedown. I didn’t feel confidence because he moved very well and his game plan was perfect,” Lopes said. “I remember I listened to the Volkanovski corner, every time he stayed in front of me, the guys say ‘Game plan game plan,’ and he started going back to the game plan. Whole credit to Volkanovski, he did a great job.”
Lopes admits he thought Volkanovski would be closer to retirement
Even though Volkanovski managed to stick to his game plan throughout their first fight, he still could not avoid taking damage from Lopes over the full 25 minutes.
Volkanovski’s age has become more of a talking point heading into their second meeting, with some wondering if another year added will make a difference this time around.
The champion has addressed those questions by saying he does not plan to retire after UFC 325, regardless of how the night goes in Sydney.
Lopes mentioned during his interview on Main Event that he assumed Volkanovski might already be thinking about wrapping up his career.
“I’m so surprised with this too. But, I don’t know, bro. Volkanovski’s a dog, he loves fighting. He loves the challenge.”
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