MMA

Alexander Volkanovski is such a legendary mixed martial artist that he could have been brutally knocked out in the UFC 314 main event, and still counted on a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame, and the adulation of fans to decades to come. Instead, the Australian featherweight legend returned to vintage form, strengthening what was already one of the most unimpeachable resumes in MMA history.

Volkanovski's opponent for the Saturday-night card in Miami was Diego Lopes, one of the hottest contenders in the featherweight division, with proven finishing prowess on the feet and the mat. It was the kind of matchup we see constantly in MMA: the aging legend against the young talent. While we've seen plenty of battle-tested veterans outsmart fresher foes, most fans would agree that usually, these kinds of matchups favor the younger fighter, and ahead of UFC 314, that was plenty of cause to doubt Volkanovski. In his last fight, he was brutally knocked out by Ilia Topuria — a loss that ended his legendary reign as featherweight champion. Prior to that, he suffered back to back losses to pound-for-pound king and lightweight champ Islam Makhachev: a razor-close decision, then a first-round knockout.

All of those defeats were excusable, but the fact remained that Volkanovski had lost three straight, and at 36, was up against a younger man that many considered the future of the division.

Maybe Lopes is the future of the division, but Volkanovski proved his chapter is not yet written to completion. There are still passages to write. Ts to cross, and Is to dot.

From the earliest moments of the five-round featherweight fight, it was clear the Australian legend was in vintage form.

If Volkanovski's greatness can be distilled down to a single factor, it's about his versatility. He may not be the best kickboxer his division has ever seen, but he's proven he can out-strike anybody — Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez included. He may not be choking fighters out left and right, but he's shown repeatedly that not even a BJJ black belt can outsmart him on the mat.

The Australian's versatility was on full display in Miami. By the time five rounds were up, Lopes had landed the more impactful strikes — and actually dropped Volkanovski in round two — but the former champ had landed far, far more, and the strikes he did land were not the pitter-patter punches we've come to expect from has-beens like Colby Covington. He Hurt Lopes multiple times, even if he didn't score a clean knockdown.

He also kept Lopes guessing in terms of the grappling. The Mexican-Brazilian is a BJJ black belt, and often likes to initiate grappling exchanges himself, but was on the defensive for a full 25 minute against Volkanovski. He actually stopped 10 of the Volkanovski's 11 takedown attempts, but the Aussie's persistence meant that he was never able to relax.

By the time five rounds were up it was close — at least by the standards of Volkanovski fights — but there was no question as to who won.

And new (again): Alexander Volkanovski.

After Volkanovski's victory, there's a lot of debate as to who's next. Undefeated Russian grappler Movsar Evloev is the obvious No. 1 contender, but he seems to have done something to addle the UFC matchmakers. He wasn't mentioned much in the lead-up to UFC 314, and was actually briefly linked to a fight with debuting Bellator export Aaron Pico.

Speaking of Bellator exports, Yair Rodriguez dominated former two-division Bellator champ Patricio "Pitbull" Freire on the UFC 314 main card. That win made him one of the top contenders in the featherweight division, and if his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan was an indication, he was promised a title shot with the win. There's just two problems: Volkanovski dominated him in 2023, and Evloev deserves the chance more.

Suffice it to say that there are options for the first title defense of Volkanovski's second title reign, and it's going to be interesting to see who the UFC deems the next man in line. Having said that, when it comes to the Aussie's legacy, it frankly doesn't matter.

Consider the facts.

With his win over Lopes, he became the first two-time featherweight champ in UFC history. If you had doubts about his stake to a Hall of Fame spot before Saturday, you can't possibly still feel that way. As if that's not impressive enough, consider this: Volkanovski is the first fighter below lightweight ever to win a title over the age of 35.

Maybe his new title reign will be as impressive as his last — he defended the title six times last time, so the bar is high. Maybe he'll be embarrassed by Evloev or in a rematch with Rodriguez.

The truth is, much like his fight with Lopes, it really doesn't matter.

At this point, his legacy is set in stone. Every win from here is merely another cherry on top of a very, very decadent cake.

See you at his Hall of Fame induction in a couple of years.