UFC 325: The Great Remains Undisputed in Sydney

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The Octagon returned to Australia last night for UFC 325, and once again, the “Land Down Under” belonged to Alexander Volkanovski. In a night defined by clinical dominance and a resurgence of lightweight contenders, the Sydney crowd witnessed the featherweight champion tie a legendary record while several prospects cemented their status as future threats.

The Main Event: Volkanovski Equates History

In the headliner, Alexander Volkanovski (29-4) successfully defended his featherweight crown with a masterful unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 50–45) over Diego Lopes.

While their first meeting was a chaotic scramble, the rematch was a technical clinic. Volkanovski used elite footwork and constant stance switches to neutralize Lopes’ explosive power. Despite a flash knockdown by Lopes in the third round and a deep armbar attempt in the fifth, the champion’s composure never wavered. With this victory, Volkanovski ties Jose Aldo for the most title fight wins in UFC featherweight history (8).

Alexander Volkanovski: “Last time we moved right, and he cut it off. This time, I showed him I have a full bag of tools. Sydney, we kept the belt home!”

🇫🇷 Co-Main: Saint Denis’ “God of War” Era

The co-main event saw Benoît Saint Denis continue his terrifying run through the lightweight division. Facing New Zealand veteran Dan Hooker, Saint Denis weathered an early storm of front kicks before dragging “The Hangman” into deep water.

In the second round, Saint Denis established a dominant mount and unleashed a torrent of unanswered punches and elbows. The referee stepped in at 4:45 of Round 2, marking Saint Denis’ fourth straight stoppage win and potentially setting him up for a title eliminator later this year.

Main Card Highlights

Maurício Ruffy vs. Rafael Fiziev: In a “Fight of the Night” contender, Ruffy sent a shockwave through the 155-lb rankings. After a competitive first round, Ruffy landed a thunderous right hand that bloodied Fiziev, following up with a flurry to force the TKO at 4:30 of Round 2.
Tallison Teixeira vs. Tai Tuivasa: Heavyweight prospect Teixeira survived a desperate third-round rally from “Bam Bam” to secure a unanimous decision (29–28 x3). For Tuivasa, the loss marks six consecutive defeats, leaving his future with the promotion in serious question.
Quillan Salkilld vs. Jamie Mullarkey: The main card opened with a statement as Salkilld secured a first-round submission via neck crank at 3:02. Salkilld called out the Top 15 in his post-fight interview, looking every bit like the division’s next breakout star.

Post-Fight Bonuses

Fight of the Night ($100k): Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
Performance of the Night ($100k): Maurício Ruffy and Quillan Salkilld
Stoppage Bonuses ($25k): Benoît Saint Denis, Keiichiro Nakamura, Jonathan Micallef, and Billy Elekana.