UFC 314 is in the books, and Alexander Volkanovski bucked multiple trends as he became a two-time champ.
On Saturday, in the main event of UFC 314, Volkanovski won a decisive decision against Diego Lopes to regain the featherweight title. “The Great” became the first fighter under 155 pounds to win UFC gold over the age of 35, and doing so following back-to-back knockout losses.
Plus, in the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett delivered the performance of his career against Michael Chandler, while Jean Silva brutalized Bryce Mitchell in their heated matchup.
So with plenty to talk about coming off the latest pay-per-view entry, MMA Fighting once again gathered the brain trust to break down the big topics coming off of UFC 314.
1. What is your blurb review of UFC 314?
Heck: Delivered the goods, and shows what can happen when the UFC actually puts forth an effort. When they care, so will we. Solid A- grade all around.
Martin: Best card of the year so far and it’s not particularly close. What is old is new again at featherweight and the UFC may have finally found a new superstar not named Conor McGregor.
Lee: A well-put together card that brought order back to featherweight, one of MMA’s marquee divisions, and took The Paddy Pimblett Show to the next level.
Meshew: Man, so that’s what a good MMA event looks like! It’s been so long since the UFC really tried hard to make a good card, and every time they do, it’s as fun as Saturday was. Wish they’d do it more often.
2. Alexander Volkanovski regaining title means _____ ?
Lee: The featherweight division can move on from Ilia Topuria.
I can’t lie, as excited as I am about the prospect of Topuria fighting Islam Makhachev, there’s a part of me that is disappointed to know we won’t get to see Topuria go on a legendary run at 145 pounds. Movsar Evloev, Jean Silva, Lerone Murphy, and even UFC newcomer Aaron Pico all projected to be compelling challengers for Topuria, but two-division temptation got the better of him. To his credit, he vacated the title without issue, and the UFC 314 main event tied a neat bow on this chapter of his story.
So we’re back with Alexander Volkanovski at the top, a feel-good moment that also allows for divisional growth. As Volkanovski passed the torch to Topuria, perhaps this is another opportunity for him give a similar rub to one of the aforementioned challengers while also building on his own indelible legacy.
It’s a new day with an old, familiar face leading the charge.
Heck: Movsar Evloev was the second-biggest winner in the division at UFC 314, and he didn’t even have to fight.
Before we get there, tip of the cap to Volkanovski. The man is MMA’s Pedro Martinez — on any given night, he can look like the greatest to ever do it, but even if he doesn’t have his A+, unhittable stuff, the man can still deliver. He had a masterful game plan, stuck to it (for the most part) and even though he gave up the proverbial bases-clearing double in the second inning, Volkanovski settled down to complete the outing beautifully.
As for Evloev, UFC 314 could’ve been a really bad night for him. Yair Rodriguez winning the way he did, while dominant, didn’t leave fans clamoring for him to get a title fight in general. But with Volkanovski winning, only Rodriguez, his team, and the immediate family of “El Pantera” are interested in that rematch. Evloev is going to get his chance to fight for UFC gold.
Martin: He’s now the featherweight GOAT.
Now the immediate pushback to that statement is going to be “Jose Aldo … he defended the featherweight title seven times and that’s something Volkanovski can probably never match.” You’re not wrong when it comes to a title defense streak but Volkanovski making history as the first fighter over the age of 35 to capture gold in any division from 155 pounds or lower is a remarkable achievement on its own. Volkanovski is now a two-time champion and yes, Aldo effectively achieved the same thing when he lost the belt to Conor McGregor and then beat Frankie Edgar to reclaim the title after the Irish superstar disappeared from the division.
Still, Volkanovski doing it at 36, and going against a young gun like Diego Lopes, is just so incredibly impressive. He’s now won seven out of eight UFC featherweight title fights and his loss to Ilia Topuria was rough but still not as jaw-dropping as Aldo getting flatlined by McGregor in 13 seconds. Truthfully, there’s no wrong answer but for me, Volkanovski cemented his place in history with that win on Saturday.
Meshew: I’m not even going to delve into Damon Martin’s ridiculousness. Come talk to me when Volkanovski has nine title defenses. Then we can discuss GOAT status. Even Volkanovski himself knows what’s up.
And the truth is, Volkanovski regaining the title means a couple of things. First, is that’s he is an exceptional fighter. Volkanovski is one of the 10 best fighters of all-time, and Saturday was a spectacular feather in his already loaded cap. True all-timers have elite performances even when they aren’t their best anymore, and Volkanovski is undeniably that.
But Volk reclaiming the title also, kind of doesn’t mean much? I hate to belittle the accomplishment — because it absolutely is one — but for any other fighter besides someone as beloved as Volk, we’d all agree that him winning was the “bad” outcome because Topuria is still the champ. Sure, he vacated the title, but I’m old enough to remember when everyone dismissed Daniel Cormier’s entire light heavyweight title reign because Jon Jones existed.
Volkanovski is rightful UFC champion right now, but he’s not the best featherweight in the world, and if Topuria loses his first fight up at 155, he might come right back. Mostly, my biggest takeaway is how lame it is that Topuria bailed on his title, because after Saturday, I would very much like to see a rematch between he and Volkanovski.
3. What’s next for Paddy Pimblett?
Heck: I may be on an island here, but if I’m Uncle Dana and crew, Paddy’s fighting for the belt next.
Obviously, a lot can happen and change in the next few months, and a lot of those questions will be answered after UFC 315. But even if Belal Muhammad retains the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena, and the UFC books Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria for the lightweight belt, Pimblett should get the winner. If JDM wins, it’s Topuria vs. Pimblett for the vacant belt when Makhachev moves up to 170.
The UFC has brilliantly matchmade for “The Baddy,” and has done so in a way where his confidence — and overall skillset — has grown leaps and bounds. Paddy’s not just saying stuff anymore, he truly believes it.
Could you throw Pimblett in with Charles Oliveira, or Arman Tsarukyan? Of course. But why even try to risk it when it’s right here in front of you? If Paddy loses the title fight, so what? He’ll still be a star, still have big fights, he can still face those other names, and will likely still have a very successful career. Do the thing!
Lee: I’m proud to say I correctly predicted Pimblett vs. Tony Ferguson and Pimblett vs. Michael Chandler, but I’m not so confident with my pick this time around.
It’s Charles Oliveira.
How do we get here? Process of elimination.
Islam Makhachev? Surprisingly reasonable, especially if you ask yourself what’s more likely: They give Arman Tsarukyan another chance to show up (something Dana White has already shot down) or they continue to ride the Pimblett wave. After Saturday, the answer is obvious, though I still think it’s too soon.
Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje? Pimblett might finally be piquing their interest, but I don’t know if he fits Poirier’s “legacy fight” criteria and Gaethje should settle his business with Dan Hooker first.
So Oliveira it is. It’s a fun stylistic matchup, and a true test, one that even Pimblett’s staunchest critics can’t poke holes in if he actually manages to beat the former lightweight champion. And if Oliveira stops the Pimblett parade, a rematch with Makhachev will be that much more justified.
Martin: I definitely don’t hate Paddy’s suggestion about fighting Charles Oliveira next but why even mess around — just book him against Ilia Topuria and let’s have some fun.
As much as signs are pointing towards Topuria getting an immediate title shot now that he’s moved to 155 pounds, it’s never been my favorite option. It was super impressive that he beat a pair of legends in Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway but Topuria didn’t really clear out the division and one title defense doesn’t truly warrant him getting the next crack at Islam Makhachev.
Of course, Topuria could just as easily throw down with Oliveira or Justin Gaethje to earn his title shot, but he has history with Paddy and that would be a MASSIVE fight. It would probably be the biggest non-title fight since the UFC staged Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz in back-to-back battles that sold all the pay-per-views.
Yes, you’d be eliminating one of them from title contention but that concept is so tired and old. Dustin Poirier got “eliminated” from title contention when Gaethje lopped off his head in 2023, and less than a year later, he got a shot at the belt because timing and opportunity pay off most in this sport. So book Paddy vs. Ilia sooner than later and let the hype begin!
Meshew: I said before UFC 314 that Pimblett vs. Chandler was the Ilia Topuria derby, and I agree with Damon — it’s the best business decision. They have a ready-made rivalry, both men are on the cusp of a title contention, and a loss wouldn’t be catastrophic to either. If I’m the UFC, that’s the fight I’m booking.
But if I’m just Jed, and booking the fight I want to see, things changed on Saturday night. I’ve never been a big Pimblett believer, but the man has consistently gotten better every time out, and on Saturday night I think he may have turned a corner. Pimblett has a bit of Dricus du Plessis in him, and I think I’m on team Paddy now. And as a newly instated member of the Pimblett Posse, I want to see the Charles Oliveira fight. Because Paddy demolished Chandler in a way Oliveira couldn’t quite do, and the stylistic matchup there is suddenly quite intriguing.
4. Who is the biggest loser at UFC 314?
Heck: There are certainly others ranked higher as my colleagues will mention, but Patricio Pitbull is going to be my answer.
It was surreal to see Pitbull in a UFC octagon on Saturday, but my biggest fears about the signing — and the matchup with Rodriguez — came to light immediately when the fight started. Pitbull has a lot of miles on him, and while he can still win UFC fights, certainly, he won’t be doing so anywhere near the title. There aren’t a lot of guys in the top 15, and a good chunk of athletes outside of it, that I would pick Pitbull to beat right now.
One of Pitbull’s most important weapons has always been speed, but he’s not going to have that advantage against most of the division. Rodriguez was in warp speed compared to the Bellator legend, and the level of competition between the two fighters over the past several years is night and day. Hopefully, the UFC can give Pitbull a fight he has a good chance of winning before they throw him to the UFC’s Magic Land of Building Prospects, which they will certainly be doing at some point.
Martin: I really hate the word “loser,” but who lost the most at UFC 314? That’s easily Michael Chandler.
If there’s one thing that Chandler could hang his hat on after starting his UFC career with a 2-4 record, it’s that all of his losses came in barnburner fights against former champions. He went to war with Charles Oliveira (twice), Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. None of those are bad defeats, and he was giving as good as he got in every single one of those.
That wasn’t the case at UFC 314.
Sure, Chandler had a couple decent moments early but then his gas tank seemingly ran low and Paddy Pimblett just ran through him. The fight wasn’t particularly close and truthfully, it wasn’t even all that exciting because Chandler just got steamrolled. Now, he’s 38 with a 2-5 record in the UFC, and he might be barely clinging onto a top 15 ranking after this loss. Dana White called Chandler the UFC’s Arturo Gatti, but does anyone remember how his career ended? He went 1-3 in his final four fights and even got knocked out by the notoriously pillow-fisted Floyd Mayweather.
Lee: You’ve got to feel for Darren Elkins, a true MMA lifer who has to be seeing the writing on the wall as clearly as the “Damage” written across his chest.
Losses are nothing new for Elkins, who made his 30th UFC appearance on Saturday, nor is he unfamiliar to taking prolonged beatings (several of which he came back from to win!). But there was something extra uncomfortable about the way he stumbled through his fight with Julian Erosa after getting clipped early before being finished with a far-too-extended sequence of undefended strikes. It’s difficult to imagine anyone watching that and not wondering if Elkins should consider retirement a month shy of his 41st birthday.
Of course, the real loser of the contest was referee Mike Beltran, who continues to stumble and bumble his way through late stoppages even as warriors like Drew Dober rely on him to protect them. Revoke Beltran’s license yesterday, enough of this.
Meshew: I’m going Diego Lopes, because he may never get another shot like that again. Lopes became the darling of the featherweight division after his respectable loss to Movsar Evloev and subsequent run up the weight class, but I had concerns about him heading into this fight, and they all showed up. For as dangerous as he can be, Lopes doesn’t have a lot of ideas, and Volk solved him pretty quickly.
Moreover, I think Lopes is waking up today realizing he missed a good opportunity. Twice on Saturday he had Volkanovski hurt — in the second and fourth rounds — and instead of going for broke, he let Volkanovski off the hook. Now, certainly some of that can be ascribed to Volk for being savvy and tough, but also some of it is on Lopes not pressing the issue. At no point on Saturday did Lopes fight with the sort of urgency that befits his style and that would’ve given him a chance against Volkanovski, and instead he got schooled for the better part of 25 minutes.
5. Outside of the top 2 fights, who was the hero of UFC 314?
Lee: Virna Jandiroba entered UFC 314 as the No. 1 contender in the strawweight division, and she left UFC 315 as the No. 1 contender in the strawweight division.
There was little for Jandiroba to gain from a tough matchup with Yan Xiaonan, but she made the most of the opportunity, showing off her elite grappling en route to a clear decision. This wasn’t just Jandiroba holding serve, the talented Brazilian fighter also made things easy for the UFC matchmakers as she further convinced fans she can be a compelling challenger for Zhang Weili or one half of a vacant title fight should Zhang move up to flyweight to chase a second title.
Even with its odd placement on the preliminary portion of a pay-per-view, Jandiroba’s win over Yan was well-received by the Miami crowd (despite most of the other grappling-heavy contests drawing boos) and that should give the UFC hope that she can bring life to the flyweight championship picture, Zhang or no Zhang.
Heck: Give me Dominick Reyes — mostly because his incredible story got overshadowed on Saturday night.
Reyes’ fighting career was left for dead at UFC 281 in November 2022. People were scared to see Reyes fight anybody after getting brutally knocked out in three straight, which followed the controversial loss to Jon Jones. The 35-year-old was becoming a Mount Rushmore “what-if” in UFC history, but now, he’s on a three-fight knockout streak.
While it’s not the top-of-mind outing, Reyes had the best finish of the entire event, drilling Nikita Krylov right in the face bone with a left hand just as Krylov was rushing in on him. But no bonus to be had, unfortunately.
The emotion that poured over Reyes was amazing to see, and that might’ve been bonus enough in his eyes. In my mind, give him Carlos Ulberg next. If he wins, give him one last chance to win the belt, because if he does achieve that goal, it might be one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen in the sport.
Martin: Pound-for-pound, nobody did more for their career over this past week than Jean Silva.
While Paddy Pimblett mauling Michael Chandler is a bigger win, Silva rocketed himself to a new level of stardom after picking a fight with Bryce Mitchell. From mocking him as a flat Earther to the not so subtle Inglorious Basterds references leading up to the fight, Silva was playing chess while everybody else was playing checkers. With four knockout wins on his record, Silva could have just as easily targeted a higher ranked opponent and taken a similar route as his teammate Carlos Prates, who is about to headline his first event just four fights into his UFC career.
But instead, Silva saw an opportunity awaiting him after Mitchell became almost universally despised (for at least a day or two) after the abhorrent comments he made about Hitler and the Holocaust in January. Silva then proceeded to style on Mitchell and choke him unconscious inside two rounds. Outside of Kamaru Usman silencing Colby Covington by breaking his jaw, Silva produced possibly the most celebrated result in recent history with the way he put Mitchell to sleep on Saturday and now only bigger and better fights await him.
Meshew: C’mon, man! It’s Jean Silva, and it’s not close.
Yes, “Lord” is a ton extra and can be pretty corny, but aside from being a damn fine fighter, the man made UFC 314 his. He talked a whole mess of trash and put himself out there in a way that, should Bryce Mitchell have beat him, he may never have lived it down. And instead, Silva wailed on Mitchell from the opening bell and then slept him with a nasty ninja choke.
Saturday was Jean Silva’s coming out party. Let’s enjoy the ride.