When this fight was announced there was a lot of backlash. people wee furious that Diego Lopes jumped over 2 undefeated fighters to get a second crack at the title. My personal opinion is that Movsar Evloev was the rightful next in line. He is undefeated, coming off a win over a former world champion AND has a win over Diego Lopes. But I understand what the UFC did and why. Movsar is boring as hell. Lerone can be boring as hell. Diego is not boring and carries fan bases from both Brazil and Mexico. When breaking down this fight, you have to decide how you thought the first fight went. Was it a masterclass from Volk with one slight slip up that had him rocked? Or was Diego frozen by the moment with and those jitters behind him, he will thrive? I'm somewhere in the middle. It was clear that Volk was the better fighter, but Diego was the only one close to a finish. Diego has been in there with him, he felt the pressure, he went 5 rounds and he knows he could find the chin. Volk was also in there, he also felt the pressure and power, and because of that, I assume he wrestles but he was 1 for 11 in takedowns last time. This is a fun rematch to breakdown and likely a fun fight to watch. My heart is saying Diego and he will find the button, but my brain is saying we just saw this fight, it was a masterclass and I cant pick someone who needs to land a single big punch to win. Volk more than doubled the strikes last time and a similar performance gets him another win. Volk is hte pick here, but Lopes WITD dec. no action is the bet.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski is in the conversation for one of the best pound for pound fighters we have ever seen. He has destroyed every featherweight they have given him and while he won't go down as a 2 division champ he will go down as a 2 time champion. He has takedowns, striking, grappling, cardio, fight IQ and outside of getting older and taking a few tough fights on short notice, he's been perfect. He lands more than 6 significant strikes per minute and averages almost 2 takedowns per 15 minutes which is a testament to his well rounded skillset. He is coming off the title win over Deigo Lopes.
Diego Lopes
Diego Lopes is a dangerous grappler who is also service as coach some of the better fighters in Mexico. While he doesn't have the best takedowns or takedown defense, his BJJ is very dangerous as are his hands. He is a well rounded guy who also likes to throw heavy power shots and chase finishes. His striking can get wild but he keeps things in combinations and likes to methodically work forward until he has the opportunity to uncork. He is coming off the insane rebound win over Jean Silva.
