At UFC 314 inside Miami’s Kaseya Center, Alexander Volkanovski reclaimed his lost gold by outlasting his Brazilian counterpart, Diego Lopes, in a hard-fought war. But don’t let the result fool you—this wasn’t your typical UFC PPV storyline. At 36 years old, Volkanovski defied all odds. He made history by breaking the infamous ‘over 35’ curse. On 17 separate occasions, fighters over 35 years of age from lightweight and below had attempted to reclaim a lost title. All had failed. But not Volk. Not tonight!

Across five intense rounds, Volkanovski showcased his signature movement, relentless cardio, and constant volume. Lopes, for all his grit and heart, simply couldn’t match Volk’s pace and pressure. That dominance convinced the judges to award scores of 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46—all in favor of ‘The Great.’ However, the second round didn’t come without controversy. Lopes floored the Aussie with a clean shot, prompting judges Sal D’Amato and Derek Cleary to award the round to the Brazilian.

That decision, however, led to a disagreement between Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, who argued during commentary that Alexander Volkanovski had done enough to secure the round. Former UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy has now weighed in on the matter. On the Weighing In podcast, alongside co-host Josh Thomson, McCarthy disagreed with Rogan and DC’s view. He said: “I know Rogan and DC thought Volk won the second round—no, no, no.” McCarthy continued, “A push, like backing someone into the cage, and actually getting knocked on your a-s—those are two completely different things.”

He went on to explain, “Look, I thought the first round was clear—Alexander Volkanovski won it. The second? He was winning it until he got knocked down, and that’s where he lost the round. In the third round, he comes back and wins. The fourth round? You’ve got to give that to Diego Lopes. So when it came down to the fifth, I thought Volk won that one clearly.”

While Alexander Volkanovski ultimately emerged victorious, the fight sparked some debate. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby saw the first three rounds as 2-1 in Lopes’ favor, but Rogan humorously dismissed this by saying, “D–g test Sean Shelby.” The question remains—did Lopes win the second round, or was it the Australian who deserved it? Regardless, both fighters put on a show, and their battle earned them the Fight of the Night bonus of $50,000. It was a testament to their commitment to making UFC 314 a must-see event. However, Joe Rogan did have some concerns about Lopes’ performance. Let’s dive deeper into that!

Joe Rogan pinpointed the biggest mistake in Diego Lopes’ UFC 314 performance

Despite suffering setbacks early in his career—including a loss on Dana White’s Contender Series and a defeat in his UFC debut against Movsar Evloev—Diego Lopes bounced back in impressive fashion. The Brazilian featherweight found his rhythm and surged ahead with a five-fight win streak, surpassing fellow contenders like Brian Ortega and Dan Ige. That stellar run earned him a golden opportunity: a shot at the vacant featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski.

But heading into the biggest fight of his career, a familiar concern loomed—Diego Lopes’ gas tank. Alexander Volkanovski, renowned for his relentless pace and championship-level cardio, further magnified the challenge. Given Volk’s recent history of being dropped in his last two outings, Lopes knew he’d likely need a knockout to pull off the upset. However, in trying to land that “home run” shot, he may have cost himself the fight—at least according to Joe Rogan.

During the live broadcast, later posted on YouTube by TNT Sports, Rogan broke down where things went wrong for Lopes. Speaking alongside Daniel Cormier, he said: “It’s the lack of level changes, the zero attempted takedowns, the lack of calf kicks, and just always looking for the home run. You didn’t see a lot of jabs out of him…didn’t see a lot of shifting movement, a lot of faints. You saw pressure—constant pressure.”

Now that the dust has settled, how did you see the matchup between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes? Who impressed you more tonight? Let us know your take in the comments below.