LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: (L-R) Opponents Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes face off during … More the UFC 314 press conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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The stacked UFC 314 fight card is nearly here. That pay-per-view event takes place on Saturday, April 12, at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. A featherweight matchup between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes headlines the event. The 145-pound scrap will crown the next UFC featherweight champion. The UFC 314 co-main event is a pivotal lightweight matchup between former UFC title challenger Michael Chandler and the rising Paddy Pimblett. Also on the main card of UFC 314 is a featherweight contest between Bryce Mitchell and the surging Jean Silva. The PPV also sees former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire making his promotional debut opposite former UFC featherweight title challenger Yair Rodriguez. Below, we look at the betting odds, betting line movement, picks, and predictions for the Volkanovski vs. Lopes fight.
UFC 314 Fight Card Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes
The winner of the UFC 314 main event will walk away from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida with the UFC featherweight title over their shoulder.
In announcing Volkanovski vs. Lopes, UFC CEO Dana White said of the soon to be former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, “Topuria has felt like he’s done all he can in that division, and he feels like he’s cemented his legacy, and his body cannot make the weight anymore. So Topuria will be moving up to 155 pounds and will be vacating the featherweight title. … As soon as the first punch is thrown in (Volkanovski vs. Lopes), the title is vacated. We will announce what Topuria’s next fight will be when we get it done.”
Volkanovski (26-4) is a former UFC featherweight champion. He held the title from December 2019 through February 2024, defending the belt five times over that time. His reign began with a unanimous decision win over Max Holloway and ended in a knockout loss to Topuria in February 2024.
During his run with the 145-pound belt, Volkanovski twice fought for the UFC lightweight belt, losing to Islam Makhachev in February and October 2023. Makhachev won the first meeting by decision. He followed that with a knockout victory.
Volkanovski has not stepped into the Octagon since his loss to Topuria. He is the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC featherweight rankings.
Lopes (26-6) is the No. 3 fighter in the UFC’s 145-pound weight class. Lopes joined the UFC in May 2023, dropping his promotional debut to Movsar Evloev via decision. Since then, Lopes is unbeaten in five fights. His most recent victory was a UFC 306 decision win over two-time UFC title challenger Brian Ortega.
UFC 314 Main Event: Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes Betting Odds And Line Movement
When the betting line opened for the UFC 314 main event, Volkanovski was listed as the -151 betting favorite over Lopes, who opened as the +131 betting underdog. The betting for the contest has shifted, but not much. Today, Volkanovski is a -122 favorite over the +102 Lopes.
*Odds via BetOnline
UFC Fight Card Schedule For April 2025: Including UFC 314
UFC 314 Fight Card Main Event Tale Of The Tape: Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Diego Lopes is seen on stage during the UFC 314 press conference at … More Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Alexander Volkanovski
Age: 36 Height: 5’ 6” Reach: 71”
Stance: Orthodox
Diego Lopes
Age: 30 Height: 5’ 11” Reach: 72”
Stance: Orthodox
UFC 314 Fight Card Main Event Predictions and Picks: Alexander Volkanovski Vs. Diego Lopes
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Alexander Volkanovski is seen on stage during the UFC 314 press … More conference at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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Volkanovski is facing two issues heading into UFC 314. First, he is older than 35. That age has been a barrier for fighter under 170 pounds when it comes to winning UFC titles. Second, no UFC fighter has ever come back from two knockout defeats to claim UFC gold. However, Volkanovski is one of the best to ever compete in the UFC’s 145-pound weight class, so those two sticking points might be little more than reference material to cite when discussing the main event of UFC 314.
Lopes is a very talented fighter, and he might be a future UFC champion, but he won’t win that title on Saturday. Lopes lacks the poise, control, fight IQ, coachability and ability to make in-fight adjustments of his opponent. Lopes will have his moments in this contest, but in the end this fight will serve as more of a learning experience for him and his team. They will leave Florida without the title, but they will have a wealth of knowledge to carry with them for the next time Lopes competes for UFC gold — and he will fight for UFC gold again.
The betting pick for the UFC 314 main event is for Alexander Volkanovski to win the vacant UFC featherweight title via decision.
UFC 314 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Rodriguez Vs. Freire
UFC 314 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Bryce Mitchell Vs. Jean Silva
UFC 314 Co-Main Event Odds And Predictions: Chandler Vs. Pimblett
UFC 314 Fight Card Co-Main Event: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Michael Chandler
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Michael Chandler is seen on stage during the UFC 314 press conference … More at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Michael Chandler (23-9) missed a lot of time over the past few years waiting for a bout opposite Conor McGregor to come together. With that fight looking less likely by the day, Chandler returned to the Octagon on November 2024 to face former UFC champion Charles Oliveira. It was Chandler’s first foray into the cage since a 2022 loss to Dustin Poirier. Oliveira downed Chandler via decision at UFC 309.
Chandler joined the UFC in 2021 after a long and successful tenure with Bellator. As a competitor for that promotion from 2010 through 2020, Chandler was a three-time lightweight champion. He defended the title twice during his first run with the belt and once during his second stint as champ. His third run as Bellator lightweight champ ended with a TKO loss to Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, who is making his UFC debut at UFC 314.
Chandler is 2-4 with the UFC, but outside his 2022 matchup against a fading Tony Ferguson, the 38-year-old has only faced the elite of the division. In addition to his bouts against Poirier and Oliveira, he has met Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje inside the Octagon.
Chandler’s UFC wins came against Hooker (TKO) and Ferguson (knockout). The former Bellator champ is the No. 7 ranked competitor in the official UFC lightweight rankings.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Paddy Pimblett is seen on stage during the UFC 314 press conference at … More Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Paddy Pimblett (22-3) is a former Cage Warriors lightweight champion. He has slowly been working his way up the UFC rankings since making his promotional debut in September 2021. Now 6-0 with the UFC, Pimblett looks to take a step up in competition against Chandler. Pimblett is coming off a UFC 304 “Performance of the Night” bonus-winning submission win over Bobby Green.
Pimblett had a successful run with the Cage Warriors promotion before he joined the UFC in 2021. During his time with Cage Warriors, which spanned 2013 through 2021, Pimblett won and defended the CW featherweight title and fought for that promotion’s lightweight crown.
Pimblett has been a fan favorite since he made his UFC debut and while some have been critical of the matchmaking the UFC have provided for Pimblett, something he addressed at the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference, Pimblett is in for a big test against Chandler.
Pimblett is the No. 12 ranked UFC 155-pound fighter.
We will have more on UFC 314 Volkanovski vs. Lopes scrap as fight night nears, as well as live results, reactions, highlights and more for the UFC 314 pay-per-view card on fight night.
