Alexander Volkanovski is all set to defend his crown against Diego Lopes at UFC 325, and the fight is finally picking up steam. So far, the fans seem a little upset with the rematch since they wanted Volk to fight other deserving contenders like Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy. But alas, the UFC decided to go with the Lopes rematch. Now, as the rematch approaches Sydney, the hype has finally started settling in, as both camps are making significant moves.

Before the anticipated clash at Qudos Bank Arena, the mental warfare has already begun. Diego Lopes, fresh out of a stellar knockout against Jean Silva at last year’s UFC Noche event, believes he is ready to take on the champion once again. Well, Alexander Volkanovski definitely soundly won the featherweight championship for the second time at UFC 314. Still, ‘The Great’s fight was not smooth, as it turned into a brutal 25-minute war with Lopes. In the second round, the former title challenger scored a massive knockdown and also won the fourth round on two of the judges’ scorecards. Because he dropped the champ in the last fight, Lopes believes he could flatline the featherweight legend at UFC 325.

Alexander Volkanovski recruits Mauricio Ruffy

“Now he has more confidence, you know. But I think that’s maybe a little bit of a mistake for him too. Because if he tries more pressure, I think I’m knocking him out. Bro, I’m fighting in enemy territory. I need to finish this fight. So, making sure it’s a knockout or a complete domination for five rounds,” the Mexican-Brazilian told MainEvent.

So, as Lopes thinks he can knock out Volkanovski definitely comes from the experience he gained from the last fight. Regardless of his opponent’s threat, the reigning 145 lbs king is also leaving no stone unturned. To prepare for the second clash against Diego Lopes, ‘The Great’ has now recruited the Fighting Nerds’ Mauricio Ruffy, who Joe Rogan labeled as the Brazilian version of Conor McGregor. “Mauricio Ruffy joins Alexander Volkanovski’s camp to help him prepare for the Diego Lopes rematch 🥊🔥,” Red Corner MMA noted while sharing a clip of Ruffy being welcomed into Volkanovski’s camp. 

For the unversed, Volkanovski and Ruffy have already been training together. They first shared a sparring session in November 2025, but the Brazilian later left the Fighting Nerds in late December. Ahead of his anticipated clash against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325, the same card the featherweight icon will headline, both have joined forces to sharpen each other’s techniques.

Now, with a technical striker like ‘One Shot’ in the camp, the Aussie champ will be looking forward to refining his kickboxing even more. That said, as Volkanovski is set to defend his belt for the first time in the second leg of his reign, a UFC champion believes it would be wise for the 37-year-old champ to retire after this fight.   

Tom Aspinall urges ‘The Great’ to walk away after UFC 325

There’s definitely a debate about whether Alexander Volkanovski has topped Jose Aldo’s reign to become the undisputed featherweight GOAT or not. But when it comes to pure achievement, most fans still revere ‘The Great’ as one of the best 145ers ever. With that in mind, many also feel that the Aussie legend should lay down the gloves at UFC 325 regardless of the result. At 37 years old, he has already accomplished almost everything a fighter could dream of.

Probably with the same thought process, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, a self-proclaimed ‘Volk’ fan, also reckons that the featherweight king should consider retirement in front of the Australian crowd.

“I hope he does retire, and I’m the biggest Volk fan out there. I want him to retire if he wins this one, leave it.” Aspinall said in an interview with Paddy Pimblett.

The British juggernaut did not explain why he feels Alexander Volkanovski should say goodbye to the sport. Still, it is not a stretch to assume he is one of those fans who want ‘The Great’ to ride into the sunset without stacking too many losses on his record. Nevertheless, while Aspinall expects a possible retirement, ‘Volk’ has made his ambitions clear. He is still looking to chase a second belt for the third time in the future, preferably against Ilia Topuria or Islam Makhachev.

With that being said, do you think Alexander Volkanovski will defend his belt against Diego Lopes once again at UFC 325? And will he retire or move forward with his plans? Let us know in the comments section below.