UFC 314: Road to Gold
UFC 314: Road to Gold
UFC 314 marked a crossroads in the featherweight division, as the vacant belt was set to crown a new owner. A new king would emerge between one of the greatest fighters to ever do it—Alexander Volkanovski—and the rising, ever-dangerous Diego Lopes.
Card Rating: 9.4/10
Main Event Rating: 9.6/10
Highlight of the Night: (Quite a few) Jean Silva (D'Arce choke), Dominick Reyes (KO)
Fight of the Night: Volkanovski vs. Lopes
Honorable Mentions: Paddy Pimblett
Build-Up:
UFC 314 was hyped as one of the most stacked cards of the year so far, as the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, would host the crowning of a new featherweight king. After a year of dominance by Ilia Topuria—who captured and defended the belt against two of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway—Topuria relinquished the title to move up to the lightweight division. This left the 145-pound throne vacant until UFC 314.
Two clear contenders emerged: breakout star Diego Lopes, who has steamrolled his way into title contention in a short amount of time, and his opponent, the former and arguably greatest featherweight champion of all time, Alexander Volkanovski.
The Fight:
Many questions were to be answered about the current state of the featherweight division. Volkanovski was coming off three losses—two by devastating knockout—and at age 36, many wondered if he still had what it takes to climb to the top of the mountain again in this ever-evolving game.
On the other side, Lopes was entering his first-ever UFC five-round championship fight, against a man doing it for the tenth time in his career. The question loomed—was Lopes truly championship material in what would be the biggest test of his career?
The Outcome:
This fight was absolute fireworks. Both men showcased skill, determination, and heart for all five rounds. But it was Alexander "The Great" who proved he’s still a cut above the rest at featherweight. Volkanovski looked as sharp as ever, like he had never left.
Lopes, however, showed he was ready for the big stage—never giving up, constantly putting Volkanovski in danger, and toe to toe with the new featherweight king for 25 minutes. He demonstrated that he has the tools—and more importantly, the heart and mind—to be a future champion.
Afterthought:
Wow. What did I just watch?
This card embodied everything that makes mixed martial arts great. It showcased violence and beauty, explosive knockouts, and the slickest of submissions. It showed the passing of the torch from the old school to the new, while also proving that the old dogs still have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
It delivered dominant performances and razor-close battles. It showed the heartbreak of falling just short. And my personal favorite moment—watching one of the all-time greats make it back to the top of the sport against all odds, rising from the lowest lows to climb the mountain once again.
Final Thoughts:
Surprise, surprise—the featherweight king is back. Long live the king!
Normal service resumes at 145 pounds, and what feels like the rightful ruler is back on his throne—for now. But the sharks are circling. The new generation is coming. Featherweight is as stacked as any of the deepest divisions in the UFC.
UFC 314 Highlights:
The co-main event saw the emergence of a new lightweight contender in Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett. Pimblett vs. Chandler was expected to be fireworks, as both fighters always bring eyeballs and violence, and Pimblett shook up the lightweight division with an absolutely dominant performance over a very game Michael Chandler. He showed he’s as legit as they come in the UFC’s premier division and will surely be in line for a top-5 opponent next after that performance.
Yair Rodriguez put on a clinic against newcomer and former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull, showing he’s still improving and still a contender for the coveted featherweight belt.
The fighting nerds continue to make waves in the UFC, with Jean Silva delivering a scary-dominant performance against Bryce Mitchell—who is very legit in the 145 division—completely dismantling him within two rounds and putting him out cold via D'Arce choke. The takeover continues—on to Prates next…
Dominick Reyes showed he’s back in form with a clinical knockout of Nikita Krylov, continuing his resurgence in the light heavyweight division.
Big wins across the board:
Chase Hooper beat the seasoned Jim Miller
Dan Ige (though it was controversial)
Virna Jandiroba, who has surely put her hand up as the new number-one contender in the women’s strawweight division.
