UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski didn’t leave UFC 314 unscathed.
Alexander Volkanovski regained the UFC featherweight throne with his stunning performance at UFC 314 last Saturday in Miami. But while he outpointed Diego Lopes to win the vacant featherweight belt, Volkanovski suffered a serious injury in the opening minutes of the fight.
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.
