UFC 325 Sydney: Alexander Volkanovski warned of big risk in Diego Lopes fight, preview, how to watch and order in Australia, start time

Alexander Volkanovski’s hyped Australian title homecoming has been branded an “unnecessary risk” by one of the UFC’s most astute analysts, labeling the UFC featherweight champion’s hyped rematch with Brazilian Diego Lopes as “not the thing I’d be wanting to do”.

UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 | SUN 1 FEB 1PM AEDT | For the first time in his storied career, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will defend his championship in his home city of Sydney, in a rematch with Brazil’s Diego Lopes. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

The declaration comes as one of Volkanovski’s chief training partners – UFC lightweight Jamie Mullarkey – has rejected suggestions the champ is set to retire after Sunday’s headliner, stressing his mate has not only been “f***ing firing” in camp, but will earn a US$25,000 finish bonus.

The UFC returns Down Under amid much fanfare this weekend, with Volkanovski looking to ignite his second coming as the division’s undisputed king against Lopes at UFC 325.

For Volk, it will be the second time in only 10 months he has faced Lopes, having earned a comprehensive decision win over the challenger back in April last year at UFC 314 in Miami.

Prior to that however, Australia’s No.1 MMA star had dropped consecutive bouts to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, both by devastating KO.

Throw in the small matter of Volkanovski also now being 37, and ‘The Great’ enters Sunday’s fight amid whispers that a loss will almost certainly see him call time on what has undeniably been a Hall of Fame career.

Already, the fact he is now being asked to rematch a fighter he beat within the past year has been widely questioned. Especially with genuine UFC featherweight title challengers Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev both available.

However speaking with Submission Radio recently, popular MMA analyst Dan Hardy suggested the quick turnaround also presented some unique challenges for the Australian.

While Hardy is picking Volkanovski to win via decision, he also brands the Lopes rematch “an unnecessary risk”

“Diego Lopes has a good opportunity to change some things,” Hardy started, stressing the Brazilian will have already learned plenty from fighting the champ through five rounds.

“There is nothing like being in there with someone for a bunch of time to get a feel for how they move, and what’s different to what you expected – what was a surprise.

“This is a weird thing as well, but sometimes you expect someone to do something but then, when it happens, it’s not how you anticipated it.

“It’s weird.

“And I feel there are a lot of people who expect Volkanovski to move in a particular way.

“Like [Jose] Aldo could not figure Volkanovski’s movement out. It looked like Aldo was ‘hang on, this is not what I expected’.

“And I feel like having some time in there with someone, and then having time to dwell on it … Lopes knows that he’s the one who really needs to raise his game, to change something.

“I feel like it’s a really good opportunity.

“It’s not the thing if I was Volk I’d be wanting to do.

“You know, to have such a good performance and then run it back.

“It seems like an unnecessary risk really.

“It’s an opportunity for Lopes to show his quick evolution. And he’s at the right age of his career where we are still going to see those good developments in his game.

“Where Volk, we’ve probably seen the best of him now …”

Elsewhere, Mullarkey is tipping Volk to win via finish.

While he hails from the NSW Central Coast, ‘The Hooligan’ has increasingly been spending more time at Freestyle MMA in Windang, and recently moved his entire life south to work fulltime with Team Volkanovski.

Better, the 31-year-old scrapper has also been a late addition to the Sydney event himself, and will now open the Main Event pay-per-view portion in a huge all-Australian showdown with hyped West Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, Mullarkey tipped Volkanovski to finish Lopes in what he insists will be a completely different showing to the pair’s first fight last April.

That alone would come with a financial bonus for the champ, with UFC boss Dana White having doubled the worth of performance bonus performances under his company’s new broadcasting deal – to US$100,000 – while also gifting US$25,000 to anyone who finishes.

In Australian currency, that equates to roughly $145,000 and $36,000 respectively.

Mullarkey also suggested that, given what he is seeing from the champ in training, he expects Volk to not only win this weekend, but then defend at least once, and possibly twice later this year.

Asked about whispers of Volkanovski retiring, Mullarkey replied: “Seeing it all through my eyes, being in the gym with him every day, I actually think Volk has never looked better.

“Honestly, I don’t see him slowing down.

“It really is a case of Volk 2.0.

“Obviously I don’t know what he’s thinking and [the retirement issue] is going to be his call.

“But in the gym, he’s f***ing firing.

“I was only paired up with him the other morning.

“We did a lactic session, we were smashing the bag together, and the way he trains is incredible … it just really f***ing ramps you up.

“I can actually see him winning and defending a couple of times this year.”

And as for how he wins it?

“I think Volk finishes him,” Mullarkey continued.

“Obviously it’s a tough one because they’re both evenly matched, and have already spent five rounds in there with one another.

“But I honestly think it’s going to be a completely different fight.

“I see Volk dragging him into the later rounds, but I see him finishing him.

“I won’t say exactly how … but it’s a finish.”

Mullarkey also praised the impact Volkanovski and Freestyle MMA head coach Joe Lopez are having on his own career, especially now as he looks to derail the Aussie hype train that is Salkilld.

Apart from being on a tear of 10 straight wins, 26-year-old Salkilld has also been successful in all three UFC appearances since winning on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.

“Quillan has been on fire this past year,” Mullarkey said. “So this is a great opportunity for me to swoop in, take his hype and make it mine.

“I think this fight is going to be a dogfight, a war … and so [preparing alongside Volkanovski] is unreal.

“Having that championship energy in your camp is incredible.

“When Volk is in the room, the entire gym levels up.

“Especially when he’s fighting himself, you can feel the energy lifting … it’s so inspiring.”

Mullarkey’s corner will include Volkanovski’s head coach Lopez, plus his own longtime coach and former UFC lightweight favourite Ross Pearson.

“Ross and I still talk every single day,” Mullarkey explained. “He’s also been coming down to Windang and training with us as well.

“So it’s all systems go with the whole crew.”