Despite that, Volkanovski put on a vintage performance in the main event, reclaiming his 145lb title and making UFC history as the first fighter 35 or over to win a title at lightweight or below.

Volkanovski also joined an exclusive list of fighters, including Georges St-Pierre, to have suffered a KO loss and to come back and reclaim the title.

Cristiano Ronaldo sends Alexander Volkanovski a message following UFC 314

‘The Great’ Volkanovski had to overcome a lot of adversity in the fight as he was knocked down early in the fight and subsequently lost the sight in one of his eyes later in the fight.

His history-making performance, though, showcased exactly why he is one of the pound-for-pound best fighters, with him now reigning over the featherweight division for a second time.

And with his win over Lopes, Volkanovski has been sent a message by superstar soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev, Ronaldo asked Volkanovski’s friend and teammate, Israel Adesaya, how he was doing when the two met during an event.

“Champ is back,” Ronaldo commented on Volkanovski reclaiming his title.

The superstar, who is seemingly quite a big fan of MMA, previously questioned Ilia Topuria’s title credentials, which led to a brief back-and-forth between the two.

Volkanovski reveals when he would like to return to action

Despite suffering back-to-back KO losses because of quick turnarounds, Volkanovski is surprisingly hoping to defend his title as early as July, as Movsar Evloev likely leads the way as the next contender.

However, soaring featherweight star, Jean Silva, is hopeful of potentially being offered a surprise title fight, laying out the facts on why he should be next.

Although the Brazilian has rapidly become a star in the promotion and picked up another hugely impressive win over Bryce Mitchell on Saturday, he likely needs at least one more win before a title shot.

Despite several years having passed since he last fought, MMA fans would love to see Brock Lesnar back in the cage. In an esteemed career, the powerhouse managed to defy the odds and win a UFC world title.

And there’s no reason Angle couldn’t have done the same thing.

WOW: Dana White bizarrely compared 6-1 UFC star to one of the greatest fighters of all time

Kurt Angle says the UFC made him three offers

Kurt Angle has opened up about his negotiations with the UFC, claiming the company made him several offers to fight in their promotion.

Alas, he wasn’t impressed by the first number on the table.

In an interview with SportBIBLE, Angle claimed: “Before I signed with the WWE, the UFC approached me and offered $150,000 for 10 fights; that’s only $15,000 a fight, and I wasn’t going to sign that contract, it wasn’t enough.

“That was quite lucrative at the time for the UFC, but I decided to go with the WWE.

“By the time we reached 2000 and my career there really got going, the UFC was suddenly a really big company, and Dana White had taken control of it.

“I started thinking ‘maybe I should go to UFC, but I’m having such a great career in the WWE’ – so I carried on.”

A few years down the line, after Angle finished his first stint in the WWE, White contacted him to try and get him to sign on the dotted line. However, there was one major issue that got in the way.

The grappler said: “In 2006, when I left the WWE, Dana White called me and invited me to meet him in Las Vegas.

“I met him at a beautiful penthouse hotel room, and he offered me a contract. It was a seven-year deal, just with one fight. The rest of the time, I’d be sat in the front row of the arena, waving to the fans. It was a lot of money offered.

“Immediately after leaving the WWE, though, I signed with TNA. I asked Dana if I could do both, and he said ‘absolutely not – you either wrestle, or you fight’.”

At the age of 40, Angle contacted White for one last conversation.

The wrestler explained: “Halfway through my TNA career, I was thinking about leaving, so I called Dana again, but I was 40 years old at this point. I was still seriously considering it, though. Dana offered me a six-fight deal for a substantial amount of money.

“He asked me to take a physical, but I failed it because of my neck. I wasn’t able to do it, so I carried on with TNA.

“Dana was very cool and respectful. He wanted me to join, but it just couldn’t happen. I look back and I’m glad I didn’t do it, because when I was 40, I was so beat up. I’d had five broken necks, and my upper strength was diabolical. I couldn’t bench 135lb for five reps. I would have had my a– handed to me.

“I’d spent many years wrestling those huge monsters, and I wasn’t in the prime of my career. If I was in my prime, yeah, I believe I could have won a UFC title.”

Dana White reveals the massive amount of money the UFC wants its next broadcasting partner to pay

While Angle’s first UFC offer wasn’t great, by the sounds of things, his second two were.

This comes as no major surprise considering how much money the company generates.

The UFC has become one of the biggest brands on the planet, with the organization now potentially set to move away from ESPN in favor of a new television network.

Now, White has revealed how much money the UFC would want a broadcasting partner to pay.

After Muhammad’s fight at UFC 310 was called off, there was some confusion as to when his first title defense would be. As it turns out, Maddalena will be his first challenger, putting his undefeated record in UFC on the line for a chance to become the UFC Welterweight Champion.

Meanwhile, Valentina Shevchenko defends her UFC Women’s Flyweight title against Manon Fiorot in the co-main event. Shevchenko is coming off the back of a trio of fights against Alexa Grasso, coming out on top in the final fight after a loss, draw and victory.

As the top pound-for-pound female fighter, Shevchenko will be the favorite against Fiorot in Canada. However, the French fighter is undefeated in the UFC and with five back-to-back decision wins has proved she has the cardio to go the full five rounds with anybody in the octagon.

Meanwhile, the card also includes an exciting fight between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales. Burns is coming off the back of three losses in a row, which will put him in the sights of a knockout artist like Morales at UFC 315.

What time does UFC 315 start?

UFC 315 will take place at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on May 3.

The event will start with the early preliminaries at 6:00 PM (ET), 3:00 PM (PT), and 11:00 PM (BST).

Then, the preliminaries at 8:00 PM (ET), 5:00 PM (PT), and 01:00 AM (BST).

Following on from that, the main card gets underway at 10:00 PM (ET), 7:00 PM (PT), and 03:00 AM (BST).

How to watch and live stream UFC 315?

In the US, the UFC 315 early prelims will be available to watch on the UFC Fight Pass from 6:00 PM (ET). The preliminaries can be watched on ESPN, while both the prelims and the main card will be able to be streamed through ESPN+. The PPV will cost viewers $79.99.

Over in the UK, fans will be able to watch the prelims through the UFC Fight Pass from 11:00 PM (BST) before switching over to TNT Sports for coverage of the main card from 01:00 AM (BST).

UFC 315 – Who’s fighting?

Main Card

• Welterweight – Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena
• Women’s Flyweight – Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot
• Welterweight – Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales
• Women’s Flyweight – Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva

Prelims

• Bantamweight – Jose Aldo vs. Aiemann Zahabi
• Light Heavyweight – Modestas Bukauskas vs. Ion Cutelaba
• Welterweight – Mike Mallot vs. Charles Radtke
• Women’s Flyweight – Jessica Andrade vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

Early prelims

• Light Heavyweight – Navajo Sterling vs. Ivan Erslan
• Middleweight – Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva
• Bantamweight – Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan

Muhammad mocked Maddalena over his fight fundraiser

Muhammad is disliked by fans for his fight style, which he uses to grind down his opponents rather than go for flashy wins.

If that didn’t make him unpopular with them, then recently social media posts aimed towards Maddalena will definitely make him more hated.

With the announcement of Maddalena holding a fundraiser to get his coaching team to come with him to UFC 315, Muhammad took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to mock his efforts.

This trash-talking didn’t go well, with Kamara Usman comparing Muhammad to Colby Covington for his comments about the Australian’s fundraising campaign.

Despite that, Volkanovski went on to put on a vintage performance, reclaiming his featherweight title and joining an exclusive group with fighters like Georges St-Pierre and others.

The 36-year-old had to overcome adversity throughout the clash, and late in the fight, he lost his sight in one eye after Lopes landed a huge shot.

Alexander Volkanovski provides surprising reaction after rewatching fight

A few days removed from his emotional win, Volkanovski has rewatched his fight and has revealed what he is surprisingly happiest about from his performance.

“I’m pretty happy that I was still able to get hit, if I went out there and didn’t get hit and didn’t get my chin tested, you just get a lot more out of it, right, like that’s what a lof of questions were going into it,” Volkanovski said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“And even myself, I went in there like, ‘Am I gonna go lights out again as soon as I get touched?’ and that wasn’t the case, so it was good to have a war and go through a bit of adversity in there.

“I guess a lot of people wanted to know going into it, ‘How’s he gonna do? Is his chin gonna hold up? Is he gonna look old?’ I think I answered a few questions and I rose to the occasion,” he continued.

Despite the fact that Volkanovski’s performance was vintage and he showcased why he is one of the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet, he went on to critique his performance slightly.

“I guess I was a little bit harder on myself,” Volkanovski explained regarding his demeanour after the fight.

“I’m my hardest critic, I just know I could’ve done better in there. Watching back the tape, I think I was hard on myself, but I still know I could’ve done better,” he stated.

Volkanovski sends Diego Lopes a message following their war

A few hours after his gutting loss to Volkanovski, Lopes took to social media to break his silence in an emotional post.

However, Volk has attempted to lift the Brazilian’s spirits by telling him how great he did in the fight, with Volk still banged up days removed.

“I’ll be feeling he pain, the Lopes pain for a couple of weeks, he’s a good dude, he probably doesn’t want me being in pain, but if it makes him feel any better, have a look mate, you did great,” Volk said.

Despite the pain the Australian is feeling right now, he is surprisingly hoping to return to action as soon as July to take on the next contender, Movsar Evloev.

Italian media TgCom24 reported that police and firefighters were alerted when a fire broke out in his apartment in the province of Trento. Unfortunately, they arrived on the scene after Patrick had already passed away due to smoke inhalation.

Marvin Vettori sends emotional message to brother after his passing

Marvin Vettori has posted a lengthy tribute to his brother on social media after learning of his passing this morning. The Italian fighter, who has fought for the world title against Israel Adesanya and beaten Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze, wrote in Italian, but the message was translated by Instagram.

“You were and always will be number 1 my little brother,” he wrote. “You left a void that cannot be filled, I will love you until my last breath. I don’t think I’ll be the same after today because maybe I never told you but you’ve always been my strength.

“You were the smartest and smartest of the 2, you were creating a wonderful future for yourself and I can’t get over it.

“It is said that Jesus calls back the most beautiful souls prematurely to have them with him in heaven and then I hope that you are there with him looking and watching over us with that goodness that has always set you apart.

“I love you my brother, and even though it won’t be easy to continue a life without you, it comforts me to know that one day I will be buried next to you. I love you.”

Marvin Vettori has been plotting UFC return

After a lengthy absence from the octagon that lasted nearly two years, Vettori returned to action last month at the Apex in Las Vegas. He rematched Roman Dolidze, losing a close decision to set their series at 1-1.

After the fight, he joked that he might need a ‘nonsense trilogy’ with Dolidze since they are one apiece. However, he primarily just wants to stay active after taking so long out of the octagon to deal with injuries and other issues.

“Yup, nothing too bad just some cuts and bruises,” he told his followers on Instagram after the loss. “F— man, life sometimes shows you that you can put your heart out and everything you’ve got and you still fall short.

“That was a close fight, I almost had him in the third but I guess it wasn’t enough. Yeah man, I don’t even know what to say.

“Just thank you to [American Top Team] the best in the world, thank you Dan [Lambert], everybody and all the sparring partners who helped me out. I love you all, love you guys and thank you UFC. What the f— can I say, bro? I don’t know. That’s it.”

The Fighting Nerd then showcased exactly why he is being highlighted as a potential future featherweight champion when he choked Bryce Mitchell unconscious in round two.

Following the biggest win of his career thus far, Silva bizarrely asked Dana White to be the best man at his upcoming wedding, but on the condition that White pay for the wedding singer.

Jean Silva calls for title shot against Alexander Volkanovski

Another featherweight contender who picked up a huge win on the UFC 314 main card was former title challenger Yair Rodriguez.

And with that, UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggested an incredible matchup between Silva and Rodriguez, in what would be guaranteed fireworks.

However, the Brazilian prospect has stated his claim for a featherweight title fight against Alexander Volkanovski, who put on a vintage performance in the main event to reclaim his 145lb title.

“I don’t think anyone is going to give me anything. If it’s not a title shot, then it better be a fight that puts me right there,” Silva began in a statement on X.

“But let’s look at the facts. Volk said he wants to stay active and face the best in the division. I’ve already proven that I deserve it and that I’m the best. Diego Lopes got a title shot with 5 wins and 1 loss, with 2 of those wins by decision, while I have 5 wins all by finish.

“This is the fight that makes sense. I deserve it, and I’m ready,” Silva continued.

Despite not being ranked prior to UFC 314, ‘Lord’ Silva is now ranked 11th in the division and will undoubtedly be in the title conversation following another impressive win.

“If I don’t deserve a title shot, I don’t know who does. I trust the UFC, Dana White, Hunter Campbell, and Sean Shelby. I’m ready for whatever they decide.”

Volkanovski’s next title defense could already be set

Although the Fighting Nerd is hopeful of a surprise title shot, Volkanovski received an immediate callout from undefeated contender, Movsar Evloev.

And with that, the Australian stated that he would like to return to action as early as July, which worried fans, considering his back-to-back KO losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria in what was a quick turnaround.

Despite that, the 35-year-old was always one of the most active champions, and ahead of his second reign, he is looking to continue with his impressive activity.

Elsewhere in the rankings, Alexander Volkanovski returned to the pound-for-pound top ten after his main event victory over Diego Lopes. And Jean Silva landed himself in the rankings at featherweight for the first time with his win against Bryce Mitchell.

Paddy Pimblett lands top ten ranking after UFC 314 win

Paddy Pimblett has entered the top ten of the UFC lightweight rankings after his win over Michael Chandler on Saturday night. The American had been ranked at number seven, but the Brit has missed out on that placement with fellow European Mateusz Gamrot taking that slot.

It’s another step in the direction of a world title shot for the scouser who has improved every next fight under the UFC banner and remains undefeated. He called for fights with Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira or Arman Tsarukyan after his victory, and appears serious about title contention.

Islam Makhachev has even admitted in the past that should Pimblett rocket up the rankings that he may have to fight him given the lack of serious contenders. However, he may have to face former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who gave up his belt to move up in weight.

Chandler’s defeat saw him slump back to the number 12 spot that Pimblett has previously held. He hasn’t won in the UFC since 2022, and is 2-5 in the promotion since making the move from Bellator in 2021.

Alexander Volkanovski returns to the top 10 pound-for-pound

After reclaiming the featherweight title on Saturday night, Alexander Volkanovski is back at the summit of his division. His knockout losses to Topuria and Makhachev in quick succession had hurt his pound-for-pound ranking, after once competing for top spot.

But an impressive outing against the plucky Lopes saw him rise to number nine as he begins his push back to the top. The lightweight champion remains in the top spot, much to Dana White’s annoyance as he stays ahead of Jon Jones.

Interestingly, the only two men to beat Volkanovski under the UFC banner Makhachev and Topuria are respectively ranked number one and number three pound-for-pound. Should they fight, it would likely be for top spot.

Fans are deeply intrigued as to how the fight would go down, and Volkanovski just gave a fascinating Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria prediction.

However, according to the 155-pound King’s manager, the Dagestani may go in a different direction.

WOW: UFC lightweight insists size won’t matter when Ilia Topuria fights Islam Makhachev

Could Islam Makhachev fight Justin Gaethje?

Ali Abdelaziz has teased the prospect of a massive showdown between Islam Makhachev and Justin Gaethje.

A match-up between the pair would definitely provide fireworks, with the title-holder determined to enhance his legacy even further, while the American would love nothing more than to earn a degree of redemption for his defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov and finally win that elusive world title.

While Abdelaziz was enthralled by the action on Saturday night at UFC 314, he believes the potential battle between his athlete and ‘The Human Highlight Reel’ would deliver even more so.

He tweeted: “Last week was unbelievably exciting fights, but this is a different level of excitement.”

The manager also used a graphic, showcasing the fighters’ records, with Makhachev having secured 18 stoppages in 27 wins, while his potential opponent has 21 finishes in 26 wins, indicating a clash between the pair likely wouldn’t go the 25-minute distance.

‘Islam Makhachev will get crushed’… MMA legend gives take on the UFC champion’s potential fight with Ilia Topuria

While many would love to see Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria, it might not be the best option for the pound-for-pound number one.

A former UFC star is adamant that a collision with the former featherweight champion shouldn’t be entertained.

The MMA icon explained why Makhachev will get ‘crushed’ if he fights Topuria.

The loss marked a third consecutive defeat for ‘Iron’ Mike, who hasn’t won since a 2022 knockout of Tony Ferguson. He was due to face Conor McGregor last year and spent the best part of two years waiting for that fight before moving on in November at UFC 309.

Michael Chandler shares emotional first message after UFC 314

Michael Chandler decided to take his time before returning to social media after his loss to Paddy Pimblett. He stayed quiet throughout Sunday and most of Monday as he made his way back home to his wife Brie and their kids.

On Monday, Brie shared a number of photos to Instagram showing her husband wearing sunglasses to hide his gruesome cut but generally ‘still smiling’. He reposted all of them on his page, before sharing a more lengthy message on X.

“Never out of the fight,” he wrote to his 433,000+ followers alongside a photo of himself holding hands with his eldest son Hap. “This picture sums it all up. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won.”

UFC legends advise Michael Chandler to retire after Paddy Pimblett defeat

Regardless of whether he wins or loses, Michael Chandler is a fan favorite due to his exciting fight style. He is regularly covered in blood, either his own or his opponent’s, and is the type of fighter who will take a shot to land two in an effort to get the knockout.

But after a lengthy career outside the UFC and now a 2-5 run inside of it, legendary world champions Michael Bisping and Henry Cejudo believe that he should hang up the gloves. The Brit reckons that due to his age, Chandler’s career is now over.

 “I don’t say this lightly, but that was a career-killing performance for Michael Chandler,” he said in a YouTube video. “If he was 30 years old, he could have another go… But no, Father Time is undefeated. He’s 38 years old and there ain’t no way he’s getting back into title contention ever again.”

Cejudo believes he has one more fight in him, but reckons that it’s not just results that are hurting him; it’s the manner in which he gets to the final bell. “I think Chandler should have just one more fight, man. I really do,” Cejudo said on the Pound4Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman.

“I think we should retire together, maybe on the same card. If I’m Michael Chandler, yeah, I’d retire, bro. That’s too many beatings, dude. It’s not even taking L’s, he’s taking elbows to the face, he’s always cut and bloody. He’s gonna be beloved by people, but he’s lost all of his fights, and people just forget.”

Volkanovski defeated Lopes by unanimous decision to snap a two-fight losing skid at UFC 314. Despite some scary moments during the fight, including a big knockdown by Lopes, Volkanovski was able to fend off the talented Brazilian and recapture the featherweight title.

It was a standout performance for Volkanovski after many questioned whether or not he’d return to championship form after knockout defeats to Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. But while Volkanovski snapped the skid at UFC 314, it was far from a walk in the park for the two-time champion.

Coach Joe Lopez says Alexander Volkanovski suffered a potential broken hand at UFC 314

Volkanovski suffered from vision issues during the fight with Lopes, as he detailed at the UFC 314 post-fight press conference. He walked away with both eyes badly bruised after taking some of Lopes’s most powerful shots.

In addition, Volkanovski allegedly fought one-handed for the bulk of the fight.

During a recent interview on Submission Radio, coach Joe Lopez claimed Volkanovski suffered a significant hand injury just minutes into UFC 314.

“He might have broke his hand,” Lopez said of Volkanovski. “We’ve still got to get that X-ray. So he did hurt his hand. It was earlier in the fight, I think. Alex didn’t say anything afterwards, it was just at the end, he was just saying, ‘Look, I think I busted my hand.’ I can’t remember which round.

“He’s got a bit of a sore foot and just the bumps and bruises after having a five-round war with a warrior. You’re going to be sore.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

As of this writing, the status of Volkanovski’s injured hand is uncertain. He could potentially return by summer’s end, depending on the extent of the break.

Top contender Movsar Evloev responded to Alexander Volkanovski’s title win

When Volkanovski is ready to defend the title, Movsar Evloev is the likely next title challenger. As he watched Volkanovski regain the throne at UFC 314, Evloev held Volkanovski to his words after promising to grant him the next title shot.

Evloev hasn’t fought since defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 in December. The undefeated Russian has defeated the likes of Arnold Allen, Dan Ige, and Lopes.

Volkanovski’s win won rapper Drake nearly $1 million in gambling winnings, a rare sportsbook victory for the Grammy-award winning artist. Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett‘s win over Michael Chandler handed Conor McGregor a $500,000 loss.