UFC 325 fight card: Five biggest storylines to watch in Australia
For the second time in eight days, the UFC will present a numbered event on Saturday as UFC 325 lands in Sydney, Australia for an exciting card emanating from Qudos Bank Arena.
His indigenous son, Alexander Volkanovski, will make his fifth UFC appearance on Australian soil when he defends his featherweight title in the main event in a rematch against Diego Lopes. All-action lightweights Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis will face off in a highly anticipated co-feature fight.
As we inch closer to the UFC’s eighth visit to Sydney in the company’s history, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding the event.
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UFC 325: Fight card, date, full guide as Alexander Volkanovski takes on Diego Lopes in Australia
Shakiel Mahjouri
1. How much longer can Alexander Volkanovski stay at the top?
At 37, the two-time featherweight champion is considered by many to be the greatest 145-pound fighter in UFC history thanks to victories over Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (three times), Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. And his hard-fought victory over Lopes last August at UFC 314 earned Volkanovski the vacant title and some much-needed resurgence after back-to-back knockout losses and a three-loss-in-four-fight skid. Granted, these losses all came against the current two best fighters in the world (Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria) and two of them came at lightweight. But with Topuria having moved up to 155 pounds, Volkanovski remains the class of the division and is just two title defenses away from tying Aldo’s UFC featherweight record of seven. Few fighters have maintained their elite status in smaller weight classes this deep into their careers and Volkanovski appears to still have enough going on to add a few more accomplishments to his Hall of Fame resume heading into the Lopes rematch. Even though Volkanovski was dropped in the fourth round of their first fight and visibly injured twice, he buckled but never broke.
Watch the first meeting between Volkanovski and Lopes on Paramount+ for as little as $8.99 per month
2. Expect a more calculated and dangerous Lopes in the rematch
When Lopes, a 31-year-old Brazilian who fights in Mexico, faced Volkanovski in their first meeting last April, it was his first time in the UFC competing for a title and fighting the championship distance over five rounds. Ultimately, his inexperience showed as Lopes now admits he completely abandoned his game plan early on and found himself desperately searching for a knockout that wasn’t planned. Lopes will never be confused with a technical master like Volkanovski. It is his aggression and his fighting spirit that will probably forever be his true calling card. But a more refined and patient Lopes will almost certainly be more dangerous on Saturday. And Lopes can be expected to be buoyed by a strong performance in September at Noche UFC when he survived a wild duel with Jean Silva by using his grappling skills early before patiently setting up Silva for what became the final blow on a spinning elbow. Between the two, Lopes showed off his chin and durability in a crazy fight. If Lopes adopts a similarly smart and calculated strategy in the rematch against Volkanovski, it’s not out of the question for him to build on the success he enjoyed at the end of their first fight and pull off a resounding upset to take control of the division.
3. A refocused Benoit Saint Denis is a legitimate lightweight title threat
It may have taken two stoppage losses in 2024 for the former French Army Special Forces soldier to seek a much-needed change after enduring huge punishments against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, but the rejuvenated BSD appears to be a new man. Saint Denis has changed gyms and now fights under the tutelage of French trainer Nicholas Ott, who also works with middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov. And the change in tactics and mentality has done wonders for Saint-Denis without mitigating the danger it brings. Under Ott, BSD is now on a three-game winning streak following stops by Kyle Prepolec, Mauricio Ruffy and Beneil Dariush. In fact, all eight of his UFC wins have been finalized, with his first UFC loss to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in 2021 marking the only time in BSD’s 20-fight professional career that judges were necessary. Saint Denis returns Saturday against Dan Hooker in a fight that virtually guarantees action and carnage. But big betting favorite BSD, who enters as a No. 8 ranked lightweight, has an opportunity with a win to move closer to the title.
4. It could be a win or a homecoming for lovable heavyweight Tai Tuivasa
Although he’s only 32, which is young for a heavyweight, it’s hard to deny just how hard Tuivasa, the hard-nosed brawler known for his party beer gulps, could fight for his job on Saturday. The Sydney native won’t just end a 17-month layoff when he faces 6-foot-8 Brazilian slugger Tallison Teixeira, “Bam Bam” will look to end a five-game losing streak that includes four stoppage losses. Tuivasa has never hidden the fact that fitness and working out usually take a backseat to his love of partying, but it’s time to take his career more seriously before it’s over. Tuivasa has already won five straight fights – all by knockout – from 2020 to 2022 to become a surprising contender for the Darkhorse title. His fast, heavy hands, mixed with his iron will, made for a number of memorable performances for the crowd favorite who could definitely use a big one this weekend.
5. Don’t sleep on a pair of lightweight fights that complement the main card
The Hooker-Saint Denis co-main event isn’t the only 155-pound fight worth considering this weekend. Of the five fights on the main card, three of them will be contested at lightweight, with a clash between No. 9 Rafael Fiziev and No. 14 Mauricio Ruffy having all the potential to be a dormant action fight. Fiziev, who has battled injuries in recent years, ended a three-game losing streak (including two decision losses to interim champion Justin Gaethje) by outpointing Ignacio Bahamondes last June. Ruffy, meanwhile, saw his dynamic three-win start to open his UFC run be greatly humiliated at the hands of Saint Denis in September when BSD exposed Ruffy’s wrestling vulnerabilities in a submission loss. With light weight in the midst of heavy turnover, look for the combination of urgency and desperation to create nothing but fireworks. And don’t miss the continued rise of Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld, who opens the main card against fellow veteran Jamie Mullarkey. Salkilld may not be getting the same attention as middleweight Ateba Gautier after his stellar 2025 campaign, but three big wins to start his UFC run and a stunning head kick from Nasrat Haqparast have garnered plenty of attention. Salkilld, 25, is 10-1 as a pro and is a heavy favorite to hand Mullarkey his fourth defeat in his last six fights.
