The UFC is officially coming back to Sydney, with the promotion confirming that UFC 325 will take place in the harbour city on February 1 with featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski headlining the event against Diego Lopes.
UFC boss Dana White announced the news on Friday, while also announcing that UFC 324 will feature an interim title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for the lightweight belt just seven days earlier.
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The Great reclaims title! Volk vs Lopes | 04:52
The title fight marks Volkanovski’s first bout on home soil in several years and is expected to draw another sell-out crowd.
Volkanovski and Lopes first met in a thriller at UFC 314 earlier this year, where Volkanovski reclaimed the vacant featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory.
The rematch is set to reignite their fierce rivalry, with both fighters eager to prove dominance in the 145-pound division.
Volkanovski’s last bout in Australia was his February 2023 defeat to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. He rebounded from that result to beat Yair Rodriguez before suffering another loss to Makhachev.
The Australian would next lose the featherweight belt to Ilia Topuria in a dramatic upset at UFC 298 in 2024.
Lopes, ranked No.4, rebounded from his loss to “The Great” with an excellent victory over Jean Silva at UFC Noche and will be looking for revenge in Sydney next year.
The rematch gives both fighters a chance to assert themselves as the definitive force in the featherweight division in 2026.
There are two undefeated contenders in the division, Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, who Volkanovski has expressed interest in facing.
Murphy had been widely rumored as Volkanovski’s next challenger, with the champion even calling the potential matchup ‘a no-brainer.’ However, with the rematch against Lopes now official, Murphy will have to wait for his opportunity.
Following the announcement, Murphy took to social media to express his disappointment.
“Missing the opportunity to fight one of featherweight’s GOATs is what hurts me the most,” Murphy wrote. “It’s not about who’s the best anymore. It’s about who’s most popular.”
Meanwhile, White’s announcement of the star-studded UFC 324 card has fight fans buzzing.
The card kicks off the first of 13 numbered UFC events lined up for 2026 under the Paramount deal.
White revealed that Topuria will remain the undisputed lightweight champion, as the promotion implements an interim title after the 28-year-old revealed that he needed to step away from fighting for personal reasons.
Whoever comes out on top in the Gaethje-Pimblett interim title fight is set to challenge Topuria for the undisputed lightweight crown later in 2026.
Few fighters match the excitement Gaethje brings to the Octagon. The former interim champ has racked up an incredible 14 post-fight bonuses in as many UFC bouts.
Pimblett is also an exciting fighter, boasting a perfect 7-0 UFC record with five performance bonuses to his name.
In the UFC 324 co-main, women’s bantamweight star Kayla Harrison will put her title on the line against former two-division champ Amanda Nunes, who is coming out of retirement for her first fight since June 2023.
White also confirmed that several former UFC titleholders will feature on the card. Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will square up with top contender Song Yadong, while former champs Alexa Grasso and Rose Namajunas face off at flyweight.
Heavyweight powerhouse Derrick Lewis takes on rising star Waldo Cortes-Acosta, while featherweights Arnold Allen and Jean Silva look to continue their climb in the 145-pound rankings.
UFC 324 card includes:
Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett, interim lightweight title
Kayla Harrison (c) vs Amanda Nunes, women’s bantamweight title
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong, bantamweights
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Derrick Lewis, heavyweights
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva, featherweights
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Umar Nurmagomedov, bantamweights
Alexa Grasso vs. Rose Namajunas, flyweights
Modestas Bukauskas vs. Nikita Krylov, light heavyweights
Ateba Gautier vs. Andrey Pulayev, middleweights
MORE TO COME