The UFC returns to Miami, Florida for UFC 314 this weekend as a brand new undisputed featherweight champion will be crowned when Alexander Volkanovksi takes on Diego Lopes in the main event.
Former champion Ilia Topuria vacated his championship in order to pursue a move up to lightweight and now former champ Volkanovski and new contender Lopes will go toe-to-toe in a five-round main event to see who the new king of the division is, while headlining a stacked card that also includes the likes of Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett, Yair Rodriguez and debutant Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire.
We'll take a look at the main event and provide you with our best free UFC picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash while watching an incredible fight card.
Learn more about how to bet on the UFC here.
UFC 314 information
- Saturday, April 12th 2025
- Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
- Undisputed Featherweight Championship (145lbs limit)
- 5 x 5 minute rounds
- Main card start time 22:00 ET
Alexander Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes
A fight between these world-class fighters has been anticipated for several years with Lopes pushing his way through the rankings, while Volkanovski has dominated the division for several years before his recent struggles.
The former world champion first won the belt back in December 2019 with a unanimous decision win over Max Holloway, and he has since defended the crown five times with two more wins over 'Blessed' as well as successful victories over Brian Ortega via decision, 'Korean Zombie' Jung Chan-Sung via knockout and Yair Rodriguez via knockout too.
However, either side of that win over Rodriguez is what Volk is most remembered for at this point with back-to-back defeats to lightweight world champion Islam Mackhachev via decision and then via head-kick knockout. His last outing saw him go up against Ilia Topuria and get knocked out once again in a second-round stoppage, losing the title in the process.
His professional record heading into this fight stands at 26-4 with 13 knockouts and ten decision wins.
Across the octagon will be a young fighter who has torn through the division in recent years and is widely regarded as the next man to dominate at 145-pounds after Topuria vacated the belt.
The Mexican made his UFC debut on a short-notice bout against Movsar Evloev and lost a unanimous decision in a fine performance, and has since gone unbeaten in his next five fights.
Lopes claimed an excellent submission win over Gavin Tucker in his next fight via a first-round armbar, before a knockout win over Pat Sabatini in his next bout. That was followed up by another stunning first-round knockout over Sodiq Yusuff, before a sensational decision win over Dan Ige - who stepped in to fight him on just a few hours notice.
Last time out at UFC Noche, Lopes fought former title contender Brian Ortega and claimed another big decision win to solidify his place as the number one contender for the belt.
He comes into this fight with a professional record of 26-6 including ten wins by knockout and 12 wins by submission.
The first face-off between Diego Lopes and Alexander Volkanovski 😤 #UFC314 pic.twitter.com/BKLyKWeRjn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 7, 2025
UFC Picks: Route to victory
This is a really intriguing match up between two incredibly well-rounded fighters, which should be competitive wherever it goes.
Volkanovski made a name for himself as one of the most active champions in the company, but he has taken an extended period off after consecutive knockout defeats in his last two bouts and should be coming back recharged and refreshed.
His wrestling is arguably the strongest part of his game, and his conditioning has never let him down. Lopes is a very powerful striker but also has excellent jiu-jitsu skills, making him a major threat should 'Volk' take him to the mat.
The Australian star's best bet may be to mix everything up and blitz into range for strikes, while getting Lopes against the cage and forcing him backwards to control the tempo.
For Lopes, it's the opposite. The Mexican fighter will be pushing forward for a fast start, with three of his five wins coming within 98 seconds. He also almost knocked out Ortega in the opening 30 seconds of their fight too, showing he has great power.
But he has more submission wins than knockouts, and we've never really seen Volkanovski on his back being forced to defend. If Lopes can take him down and take top position, that could be a path to victory.
Check out our review for BetUS sports betting here.
UFC Picks: Diego Lopes becomes world champion @+130
There is no doubt that Volkanovski is one of the all-time great UFC champions and featherweight fighters, but he is now past his prime.
Moving up to lightweight and suffering defeats to Makhachev certainly affected his aura, and then Topuria's vicious striking all-but-broke his legendary chin too.
The UFC is and always has been a young man's game, and with Volkanovski now 36 years old, the new guard has caught him up. Lopes will be too quick, too strong and too powerful for him and with the power he has in his hands it wouldn't be a surprise to see him knock Volkanovski out again.
Getting Lopes as the underdog is huge and at plus-money you won't get better value. Take Lopes to become the new featherweight champion of the world.
Check out our review for BetOnline sports betting here.
