UFC 325's Unnecessary Rematch Highlights Promotion's Matchmaking Problem
When faced with a booking dilemma, sanctioning a rematch often presents itself as the easiest solution for fight promoters. It leans back into a pre-existing rivalry, billing the contest as its second coming with a score to settle. However, not every feud demands a rerun. This is precisely the case with the UFC 325 main event scheduled for Saturday 31 January, which pits two-time featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski against Diego Lopes once more, a mere nine months after their initial encounter.
A Redemption Story That Already Concluded
Their first bout carried significant narrative weight. Volkanovski was returning to the Octagon for the first time since being brutally knocked out by Ilia Topuria, who had ended the Australian's legendary reign at 145 pounds. The title had been left vacant after Topuria moved up to lightweight, granting Volkanovski a chance to reclaim his crown. Yet, at 36 years old and coming off back-to-back knockout losses to Topuria and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev, fears were rife that "Alexander The Great" was past his prime.
Facing Lopes, a 30-year-old jiu-jitsu specialist who had stormed through the division, it seemed a gut-wrenching passing of the torch was imminent. Instead, Volkanovski proved his enduring class. Barring a flash knockdown in the second round, the former champion outfought Lopes to secure a convincing decision victory, with most observers scoring the fight four rounds to one in his favour. "Adversity is a privilege," Volkanovski declared post-fight. After such a conclusive and feel-good result for a fan favourite, this chapter appeared definitively closed. Yet, the promotion has chosen to reopen it.
Overlooking Deserving Contenders
The decision to book this rematch has sparked considerable backlash, to which UFC president Dana White offered a characteristically brusque retort: "If you don't like it, then don't watch it." This dismissal of fan sentiment underscores a deeper issue within the company's matchmaking philosophy. While the illusion of the UFC as a pure meritocracy may be long gone, there were demonstrably more intriguing and arguably more deserving fights to make than Volkanovski versus Lopes part two.
Staving off any British bias, Manchester's own Lerone Murphy presented a compelling case for the next title shot. Undefeated with a record of 17-0-1, "The Miracle" is fresh off a knockout-of-the-year victory over highly-touted prospect Aaron Pico at UFC 319, sleeping the debutant with a stunning spinning back elbow on late notice. With previous wins over established names like Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, and Edson Barboza, this performance was a definitive title statement. Champion Volkanovski himself acknowledged this, calling a fight with Murphy a "no-brainer."
Yet, Murphy was overlooked. So too was the official number one contender, Movsar Evloev. Similarly undefeated at 19-0, the Russian has meticulously climbed the ladder, defeating everyone placed before him, including Ige, Arnold Allen, and even Saturday's challenger, Diego Lopes. His most recent win came against former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in December 2024. While inactivity in 2025 may have been cited as a reason to bypass him, a lack of recent fights has seldom prevented other fighters from being thrust immediately into title contention, as histories with Jon Jones and Colby Covington attest.
Creating Future Headaches
By snubbing both Murphy and Evloev, the UFC has inadvertently set up a natural, high-stakes match-up between the two contenders, likely for a future UFC London event. While this is a fantastic fight for fans, it creates a fresh problem for the promotion's matchmakers. When one fighter has their arm raised, the other's title credibility will inevitably diminish. This is counterproductive for a featherweight division that has grown noticeably lighter following the departures of elite talents like Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. The division needs new stars to be built, not snuffed out in contender clashes.
The spotlight now returns to Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena, where Diego Lopes will get his second chance to dethrone Volkanovski, potentially in the Australian hero's final UFC appearance. While handily bested nine months ago, both men are a year older, and Lopes demonstrated his resilience with a stylish finish of the dangerous Jean Silva in September. The outcome could certainly differ this time.
Nevertheless, the overarching feeling is that the UFC has booked itself into an unnecessary corner. Featherweight has long been regarded as one of the promotion's deepest and most competitive divisions. However, as the organisation progresses further into its Paramount era, this rematch strategy raises more questions than answers about the long-term health and exciting future of the 145-pound weight class.
