Alexander Volkanovski becomes two-time UFC champion with thrilling win over Diego Lopes

Alexander Volkanovski has successfully reclaimed his world champion title after defeating rising star Diego Lopes on points.

Despite turning 36 last September and losing three of his last four fights, the Australian powerhouse proved he could still compete at the highest level. Over the years, Volkanovski has provided fans with many memorable moments, including his three epic clashes with featherweight titan Max Holloway and his brutal beatdowns of Brian Ortega and Jung Chan-sung.

His last featherweight title defence was nearly two years ago against Yair Rodriguez, which came five months after a narrow loss to Islam Makhachev for the lightweight strap.

After winning against 'El Pantera,' the Aussie icon lost again to Makhachev before succumbing to Ilia Topuria last year, losing his featherweight gold. The defeat to Topuria led Volkanovski to take a year off before returning to the cage.

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There was some scepticism about whether he could still compete at the top level, but Volkanovski showed his class in his comeback fight. He pressed forward from the start, kicking low and following up with a spinning back fist. Although Lopes landed some clean shots in a technical exchange, the former featherweight champion took them with ease and fired back with some clean strikes of his own.

After a brief clinch, Volkanovski unleashed a powerful overhand right, but the Brazilian retaliated with a cross in an exciting and captivating first five minutes. Despite appearing fatigued, Lopes pressed on, attempting to build momentum and narrowly missing with a sharp right hand.

The ex-champion skilfully managed the range and distance with his kicks and strikes. Volkanovski's takedown attempt was thwarted before he resumed his low kick strategy. He seemed to be back in form, controlling the match without taking hits. Towards the end of the second round, 'The Great' landed a heavy one-two counter, causing the Mexican-Brazilian to retreat.

Despite his dominance, a cut appeared on Volkanovski's right eye out of nowhere before Lopes floored the 36-year-old with a massive one-two punch. Given Volkanovski's recent struggles, he knew it was time to grit his teeth and show some real resilience. The crowd was visibly shocked by the late second-round drama, their cheers shifting towards Lopes.

Volkanovski played it safe, swiftly dodging a flurry of punches from Lopes at the start of the third round. However, a confident Lopes retaliated with a sharp one-two punch that made his opponent's head snap back slightly. After a brief exchange, Volkanovski attempted a double-leg move but failed miserably. This was Lopes' chance to strike, but his uninspiring wheel kick did nothing for his stamina.

Throughout his career, 'The Great' has become used to enduring five-round battles. However, this was new territory for Lopes, who remained aggressive after knocking his rival down early in the fight. After an intense and exhausting fifteen minutes, neither man showed signs of fatigue as Volkanovski landed a stunning one-two punch, followed by an overhand right.

In true Lopes style, the Brazilian retaliated with a sharp uppercut that clearly rattled his opponent. As Volkanovski began to look a bit sloppy, it seemed like the momentum was shifting, but surprisingly, Lopes chose not to ramp up the pressure.

As the final round approached, everyone in the arena was on their feet as Lopes waved his arms around to rouse the UFC fans. It appeared as though Volkanovski was winning, but wise advice from his corner reminded the Aussie superstar that the fight was far from over.

Desperate for a turnaround, Lopes went on the hunt but sloppily unleashed another wheel kick before Volkanovski answered with a clean right hook and jab. 'The Great', aiming to diversify his offensive strategy, tried for a double-leg takedown, but his bold move fell flat.

Though Lopes pressed on, it was Volkanovski who managed to fire back efficiently with precise jabs. With just one minute remaining, it was crunch time for Lopes who charged at Volkanovski, who nimbly danced aside, avoiding a potentially knockout right blow. The veteran made it to the final bell, sharing a warm embrace with his opponent. Lopes, despite absorbing some hefty strikes and climbing atop the cage in anticipation, failed to sway the judges.

Volkanovski emerged as the new featherweight champion by unanimous decision, with scorecards reading 48-47, 49-46, 49-46. The new champ, reveling in victory, expressed his feelings: "Oh, man, it's good to be back. I've never felt the love so much," and reflected, "I was saying all week, I even said it to the camera before I walked out: I promised my girls I'll bring the belt back to them, but then I thought... it doesn't matter about bringing the belt back.

"A lot of people counted me out [...] To come back and beat a gun like Diego Lopes... It's good to be back. To everyone watching, hey, adversity is a privilege, it truly is. This moment is incredible. I love you all, I really appreciate you. It's an opportunity: you get adversity, if you build yourself back; it's only gonna make you stronger, even if it doesn't work out This is the s*** people are gonna write books about."

In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett emerged as a top contender at lightweight . From start-to-finish, The Liverpool native impressed the masses and has no doubt earned himself a top opponent in his next fight. Earlier down the card, Yair Rodriguez showed levels to the game after defeating UFC debutant Patricio Pitbull. The former interim champion's leg kicks from the get-go proved to be too much for Pitbull. Despite dominating proceedings, 'El Pantera' was desperate for a finish and nearly succeeded in the final round after landing a beautiful combination, but had to settle for a victory on points.

Elsewhere on the main card, Jean Silva emerged as a new top contender at featherweight after choking out Bryce Mitchell in the second round. The main card opened with a light-heavyweight banger between Dominick Reyes and Nikita Krylov, with the former going on to stun the Miami crow with a jaw-dropping knockout in the first round.