Ever since Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes to become the new undisputed champion of the 145lbs division, the MMA community have questioned who’s next?
Many contenders have made their arguments for their unbeaten records or statement victories.
However, as Dana White announced on Thursday Night, Lopes will get the limelight again in his quest for revenge.
Here is a bit of detail on the main event for UFC 325 and the possible challengers that missed out on the opportunity.
Volkanovski vs Lopes II in Sydney
The second UFC numbered event will be held in Australia, as the champion has the advantage of fighting on home turf.
After becoming the King of the Featherweight once again, ‘The Great’ has been key to battle again in 2025, but it seemed that it was not meant to be.
The Aussie has arguably become the greatest to compete at 145lbs, earning multiple credible wins in the UFC.
The many names on his record include: Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Yair Rodriguez, Chad Mendes and The Korean Zombie.
Lopes has been phenomenal ever since his UFC debut, rising up the division within two years to earn his first championship fight.
The 30-year-old redeemed his title loss with a spectacular second-round TKO win against Jean Silva at Noche UFC.
While it was unexpected that the #2 contender would get his rematch for the belt, fans know the first bout with Volkanovski was relatively close; a second battle makes sense.
While Lopes competes in enemy territory, it will not affect him in the slightest as he seeks vengeance for UFC gold.
Who were the next possible title challengers?
Movsar Evloev
Sitting at #1 in the featherweight rankings, the Russian struggled to compete with only one scheduled fight, which he withdrew from for unknown circumstances.
Evloev last fought at UFC 310 in December 2024, where he went the distance with Aljamain Sterling to win by unanimous decision in a close grappling matchup.
The undefeated mixed martial artist has yet to finish a fight in the UFC, with all nine of his bouts ending with a decision.
Waiting will not be the best option for the 31-year-old, as a dominant victory could give him a chance against the winner of UFC 325’s main event.
Lerone Murphy
While he has not fought a contender in the top five of the featherweight division, Murphy has pulled off some interesting triumphs.
The Englishman took on debutant Aaron Pico in his last bout, winning with a wicked spinning elbow knockout in round one at UFC 319.
The unbeaten Manchester fighter has claimed valuable victories over Josh Emmett, Edson Barboza and Dan Ige, and he’s not afraid to be challenged.
It seems that Murphy needs to be slightly more active or pull off another statement win to be in the strongest position for title contention.
Aljamain Sterling
The American-Jamaican wasn’t in the strongest spot in a conversation at the featherweight title, but his experience in the past five years does contest that.
With two out of three wins at 145lbs, Sterling’s victories have gone the distance against Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar, which have been dominant displays.
The former bantamweight champion earned four consecutive title wins at 135lbs, beating Henry Cejudo, TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan.
‘Funk Master’ is at #5 in the featherweight rankings, as a win against another contender, or revenge over Evloev, could allow him to become a two-division champion.