March 16, 2025 6: 50 pm ET
Some say cardio is king in MMA, and that’s why some fans are siding with Alexander Volkanovski to beat Diego Lopes in their upcoming UFC title fight.
Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meet next month in the main event of UFC 314. in Miami, Fla. They’ll be competing for the vacant UFC featherweight title, which was left behind by Ilia Topuria moving up to lightweight.
Lopes, who’s on a five-fight winning streak since losing his UFC debut, has quickly become a star in the division. But though respected by many, some remain skeptical of his chances of winning the title – especially after watching him lose steam in his decision win over Dan Ige at UFC 303 last summer.
“I think (Volkanovski) might go in there and look to do a mix of his game because a lot of people are still complaining that I might not have cardio for five rounds,” Lopes told Habelmos MMA in Spanish. “People are still hanging on to what happened in the fight against Dan Ige, that I slowed down. But that’s OK. People have mouths, and they’ll say whatever they want. I’m ready for Volkanovski’s best version, and I’m rea