Alexander Volkanovsky is trying to turn back the clock again.

Volkanovski, 37, could become the oldest fighter to successfully defend his UFC featherweight title when he rematches Diego Lopez in the main event of UFC 325 on Saturday night at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Volkanovski defeated Lopez by decision in their first meeting just 10 months ago, raising serious questions as to why this fight is even being made, but here it is.

At least the UFC is bringing out a local hero for a passionate Australian crowd, and as long as Volkanovski doesn’t get smoked in 30 seconds, it should be a fun night. Once again, it’s a classic provocation of the mixed martial arts gods to set up a match against the will of the broader fan base. So if you’re Volkanovski…all I’m saying is, watch out for lightning to strike in the form of a big, mean Brazilian with a mullet.

Speaking of good times, Saturday’s co-main event will feature real Wolverines Dan Hooker and Benoit St. Denis thrown into a cage for up to 15 minutes of intense violence, and probably much less. Is Hooker still the gatekeeper of the elite, or is there really a return of Saint-Denis?

Other main card bouts include Rafael Fiziev taking on Mauricio Ruffy, two more intriguing lightweight bouts with blue-chip Kiran Salkild taking on short notice Jamie Malarkey, plus the return of Tai Tuivasa to take on Talison Teixeira in a do-or-die heavyweight match-up.

where: Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney

when: Saturday, January 31st. The four-game preliminary card begins at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the four-game preliminary card at 7 p.m. ET. The five-fight main card begins at 9pm ET and the entire event will be streamed live on Paramount+.

(The numbers in parentheses indicate the ranking in the MMA Fighting World Ranking and Pound-for-Pound Ranking)

Alexander Volkanovski (1, P4P-8) vs. Diego Lopez (3)

Sorry, Diego, but I don’t think Alexander Volkanovski will lose the fight against Father Time just yet.

It’s incredibly reductive to just say this fight will be exactly like the first, but on paper not much has changed. Volkanovski is a little older, Lopez has one more high-level fight, and that’s it.

We know Lopez can catch Volkanovski. He has speed for his size, hits hard, and can use his wrestling threat to create offense. Indeed, if Lopez can actually defeat Volkanovski, he’ll find plenty of opportunities to do damage with ground-and-pound and test Volkanovski’s grappling defense. However, the list of fighters who could control Volkanovski on the mat is limited, and I don’t rate Lopez on the same level as Islam Makhachev.

So this will be a stand-up fight, and with any luck, Lopez could win. But even if Lopez had an early advantage, much of Volkanovski’s career has been defined by his resilience and ability to fight back from adversity. He’ll keep licking and ticking and at the end of the day he’ll beat Lopez again by decision.

Dan Hooker (7) vs. Benoit St. Denis (8)

Dan Hooker would be a pretty cool underdog choice if I trusted his takedown defense.

Even if they win, Hooker tends to get laid on his butt. Normally he defends well enough to weather the storm and restart the fight, and he’s certainly capable, but against Benoit Saint-Denis, one takedown might be enough for the Frenchman to seal the deal. Saint-Denis is a bulldozer and will be looking to run through Hooker fast, like Arman Tsarukyan did recently.

2025 was a year of recovery for Saint-Denis. He bounced back from deflating losses to experienced opponents Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano to finish third in six months. He looks like a dangerous candidate. Questions remain as to whether the Saint-Denis, which underwent a reality check in 2024, or the destroyer that appeared last year is real. All it takes is a pause.

Of course it’s only for a moment. Saint-Denis rushed Hooker, knocked him down, and subdued him with a flurry of ground-and-pound strikes, forcing the referee to intervene.

Rafael Fiziev (T11) vs. Mauricio Ruffy

This main card is pretty good, right? lightweight!

Mauricio Ruffy’s stocky, athletic physique will definitely cause problems for Rafael Fiziev, but fortunately for Fiziev, he’s good at getting through this type of opponent. Regardless of the discrepancy in measurements, I feel like Fiziev always finds a way to control distance and find angles for his shots. Unless he’s fighting Justin Gaethje, but that’s a whole other issue.

I know we’re looking for a treat because both fighters love to throw spinning shit, but as sharp as Fiziev has always been, there’s absolutely no world where he takes a wrong step and catches a 360 degree heel towards the dome and falls down. I’m sure Fiziev has enough Matrix-like evasion to avoid that fate.

Give the decision to Fiziyev in a tense and technical three-round duel.

Tai Tuivasa vs. Talison Teixeira

TT In the Battle of the Titans, no, I’m going with Tai Tuivasa.

I haven’t lost faith. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Tuivasa win, so the concept of him raising his hand has become abstract in my mind. But he can still slug it out with the best players. He has an experience advantage. And you know what? The fight back home may be just the stimulus needed to turn things around. He hasn’t won a match since 2022 and hasn’t won in Australia since 2018, but he’s set to win.

We know Talison Teixeira could get hit. We saw it in his loss to Derrick Lewis, an aging veteran who shares a similar style profile to Tuivasa. If Tuivasa stays calm and alert in the same way, a knockout victory is certain.

But once again, charging headlong into a literal giant with one-shot KO power could quickly take Tuivasa’s head off his shoulders and perhaps put the final nail in the coffin of his UFC career.

I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Quilan Salkild vs. Jamie Malarkey

Let’s stop talking in a roundabout way here. Jamie Malarkey shouldn’t be here.

The 12-year veteran has had a solid run in the UFC, entering on notice less than a month before Ronzu faces fellow countryman Kiran Salkild. When the bell rings, Malarkey walks up to Salkild and is expected to exchange several shots before eating the canvas. That may sound like a harsh assessment, but when Malarkey faces an athletic striker, things usually don’t go his way. And Salkild fits that description.

In fact, I expect Sarkild to look a little different this time, in contrast to Nasrat Haqparast’s traumatic knockout. Sure, he’ll show off his skills, but once he hurts Malarkey, he won’t hesitate to take to the field with him and finish with a choke of his own choosing.

Salukild by Club and Sub.

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