Boxing News And Betting Tips
UFC 325: Volkanovski v Lopes 2 Predictions
Australian icon Alexander Volkanovski returns home to defend his featherweight title against the dangerous Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 325 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sunday, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
It’s a big event for the lightweight division with three fights in the stacked weight class on the main card, including the can’t-miss co-headliner between Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis.
The other bouts at 155 pounds will see Rafael Fiziev face off against Mauricio Ruffy and Quillan Salkilld square off against fellow Aussie Jamie Mullarkey, both of which should be bangers.
Plus, Australian knockout artist Tai Tuivasa makes his much-anticipated return to the Octagon for a heavyweight slugfest against Tallison Teixeira.
Alexander Volkanovski (1.70) v Diego Lopes (2.15) (Featherweight Championship)
MAIN CARD:
Sunday, February 1, 4:00 AM SAST
No strangers to one another, this weekend’s main eventers will run it back with Volkanovski (27-4) looking for a repeat and Lopes (27-7) for revenge after the former defeated the latter by decision in their first meeting for the vacant championship last April.
Already the greatest 145-pounders of all time, the victory saw Volkanovski add to his legacy by not only becoming a two-time featherweight champion but also the first fighter under 155 pounds to win a UFC title over the age of 35.
After suffering knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, many suggested Volkanovski had lost his edge and had started his slide to purgatory going into the clash with Lopes. However, “The Great” proved them wrong with a typically tactical and technical masterclass to return to the top of the mountain.
With his five-fight win streak snapped by Volkanovski, Lopes bounced back in style with a knockout of Jean Silva in September. A battle of arguably the two most dangerous fighters in the division, Lopes made Silva pay for his over aggressiveness, handing “Lord” his first UFC loss and snapping his 13-fight win streak.
As spectacular as the stoppage win was, there was widespread shock when it was announced that Lopes would rematch Volkanovski for the gold. Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy, both of whom are unbeaten, were and still are seen as more deserving of a title opportunity, especially Murphy, after he slept Aaron Pico with the best spinning back elbow you’ll ever see at UFC 319.
In their first fight, Volkanovski’s experience trumped Lopes’ explosiveness, and that should be the case again. The champion is one of the most intelligent fighters in the sport and has perfected the art of delivering 25-minute performances.
Lopes, on the other hand, is a finisher with 23 stoppage wins (11 knockouts and 12 submissions), 15 of which came in the first round. The electrifying Brazilian has flair, both on the feet and the ground, and showed maturity in the fire-fight with Silva.
The first meeting with Volkanovski was the first time Lopes fought five full rounds, and after being unable to put the future Hall of Famer away, you’d have to think he and his team have had to adjust their preparation for the sequel. It’ll be interesting to see if they go all in hunting an early finish or take a more calculated approach.
Either way, Volkanovski has seen it all and will fight his fight. He’ll be defensively sound, especially in the opening rounds, and should pull away as the fight progresses to celebrate a triumphant homecoming.
Prediction: Volkanovski by decision.
Best Bet: Volkanovski at 1.70.
Alternative Bet: Volkanovski by decision at 2.70.
Dan Hooker (3.65) v Benoit Saint Denis (1.28) (Lightweight)
Violence is on the menu in the co-main event.
Two warriors from different parts of the world meet Down Under for what should be an all-out battle. These men are highly skilled members of the lightweight top 10, but this won’t be a mixed martial arts contest; it’ll be a human car crash – violent yet something you can’t look away from.
Stylistically, they are different, but in their core, they’re cut from the same cloth. Their fighting philosophy? Kill or be killed. Hooker (24-13) is a long and lanky striker from New Zealand, who can put your lights out with any of his eight limbs.
Ranked sixth, “The Hangman” has 11 knockouts to his name and is looking to rebound from a submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan in November, which ended his three-fight win streak.
After a vile recent back-and-forth on social media with Paddy Pimblett, who fell short against Justin Gaethje for the interim title last weekend, Hooker will be extra motivated to shine and call out “The Baddy” afterwards.
Ranked eighth, Saint Denis (16-3) is a legitimate soldier. A former member of the French Army Special Forces, he’s as dangerous as they come. If anyone lives up to their nickname, it’s “The God of War”, as all of his wins have come by finish (five knockouts and 11 submissions).
A win this weekend would be his fourth on the bounce following submission victories over Kyle Prepolec and Mauricio Ruffy and a 16-second knockout of Beneil Dariush in November, and could set him up to face the winner of the BMF title fight between champion Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira going down in March.
Hooker is excellent at what he does and will have a two-inch reach advantage to work with. However, his one weakness – grappling – happens to be his opponent’s strength. Saint Denis won’t have any qualms standing with Hooker, but eventually, he will take him down and force him to tap out.
Prediction: Saint Denis by submission.
Best Bet: Saint Denis by submission at 2.50.
Alternative Bet: Saint Denis by KO/TKO/Submission/DQ at 1.80.
Rafael Fiziev (2.05) v Mauricio Ruffy (1.75) (Lightweight)
The featured bout is a striker’s delight.
Not only are these two among the best strikers in the stacked lightweight division, they also have different builds and styles, making the match-up even more compelling.
In Fiziev (13-4), you have a compact, tank of a stand-up fighter. He’s dense and destructive, yet also extremely technical. He knows the power he possesses and doesn’t chase a finish.
Ninth-ranked “Ataman” snapped a three-fight losing streak when he beat Ignacio Bahamondes by decision in June and plans to go on a similar streak as he did from 2019 to 2022, when he won six straight.
In Ruffy (12-2), you have a lanky, free-flowing striker. Exciting and unpredictable, he showed King Green why he’s known as “One Shot” by sleeping him with a spectacular spinning wheel kick in March.
The 12th-ranked Brazilian met his match six months later when Saint Denis handed him his first loss inside the Octagon, but he won’t have to worry about being outgrappled in this one.
At 5’11”, Ruffy will have a three-inch height and four-and-a-half-inch reach advantage. He’s also the younger man by three years at 29. This could be why the line has moved this week from a pick ‘em to Ruffy being the favourite.
Those familiar with Fiziev, though, will know he’s one of the most elusive fighters out there. He’s also fearless and calculated in how he closes the distance, and has more elite-level experience.
Thus, the Azerbaijan ace should roll with the punches and get his hand raised.
Prediction: Fiziev by decision.
Best Bet: Fiziev at 2.05.
Alternative Bet: Fiziev by decision at 2.80.
Tai Tuivasa (3.80) v Tallison Teixeira (1.25) (Heavyweight)
After a near 18-month absence, Tuivasa (14-8) returns to the Octagon on home soil with one goal in mind – to get his career back on track.
Beloved by the fans for his comical entrance songs, balls-to-the-wall style and trademark shoey celebration, “Bam Bam” bludgeoned his way into the heavyweight elite with five consecutive knockout wins, the last of which was over former title challenger Derrick Lewis, before his career took a drastic turn.
A crash rather than a dip saw the Australian lose his next five fights in a row. The concern wasn’t so much that he’d plummeted to 12th in the rankings but rather that his career, especially in the UFC, could be over.
A decision loss to Jair Rozenstruik at UFC 305 in Perth in August 2024, an event that saw South Africa’s Dricus du Plessis retain his middleweight title with a submission win over Israel Adesanya in the headliner, was the final straw for Tuivasa, prompting him to take time off to recover and recalibrate.
Now ready to return, it’ll be interesting to see if he can turn things around. He has a tall task ahead of him, though, both literally and figuratively.
A mountain of a man at 6’7″, Teixeira (8-1) will tower over Tuivasa, who’s 6’2″, and will have a massive eight-inch reach advantage, on top of being the younger, faster and more athletic fighter.
The Brazilian giant has fond memories of this weekend’s venue as it’s there where he knocked out Justin Tafa in just 35 seconds in his UFC debut last February. That win earned him a main event showdown with Lewis four months later in Nashville, where his undefeated start to his career came to an end.
The 26-year-old, who boasts a 100% first-round finishing rate, would’ve learned a lot from that loss to the UFC’s all-time knockout king and won’t make the same mistakes against Tuivasa, who’s similar to Lewis in almost every way.
As a result, Teixeira is set to spoil the local favourite’s return.
Prediction: Teixeira by knockout.
Best Bet: Teixeira by KO/TKO/DQ at 1.57.
Alternative Bet: Teixeira to win in round one at 2.15.
Quillan Salkilld (1.10) v Jamie Mullarkey (6.50) (Lightweight)
Be sure not to miss a second of the main card opener as it’s an all-Aussie affair set to thrill.
First impressions on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts don’t come much better than what Salkilld (10-1) served up last February. In fact, none did in 2025 as he won the UFC Debut of the Year award for his 19-second knockout of Anshul Jubli in the very arena that he’ll be returning to this weekend.
After a solid decision win over Yanal Ashmouz four months later, Salkilld produced another stunning highlight-reel finish when he starched Nasrat Haqparast with a head kick at UFC 321. After starting his pro career with a loss, the 26-year-old has won 10 on the trot and is the biggest favourite on the main card.
![QUILLAN SALKILLD UFC HIGHLIGHTS 2025 [HD]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/36iwEgP22NY/hqdefault.jpg)
Mullarkey (18-8) stepped away from the sport for over a year after suffering back-to-back first-round knockout losses to Nasrat Haqparast and Ruffy, and made a triumphant return last September in Perth, where he outpointed Rolando Bedoya.
The veteran is betting on himself in a big way as he’s stepping up on short notice to replace the injured Rongzhu. It’s one thing to be confident in your abilities, but agreeing to this bout is ill-advised for the veteran, given that six of his eight losses are by knockout and that he’s entering a fire-fight with a savage without a full training camp.
The only way to go in this one is Salkilld by knockout.
Prediction: Salkilld by knockout.Best Bet: Salkilld by KO/TKO/DQ at 1.72.