UFC CEO Dana White has officially announced the UFC 314 fight card, which will take place on April 12, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. In what turned out to be a massive twist, the main event is a thrilling matchup between former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight belt. The bout comes after Ilia Topuria vacated his title to move up to the lightweight division, opening the path for Volkanovski to retake his championship. However, it seems like ‘The Great’ was prepared all along.

Alexander Volkanovski, who lost his title to ‘El Matador’, sees this as his chance for redemption. The Australian fighter has already begun a hard training camp to guarantee he is in top shape come fight night. Meanwhile, Lopes, riding a wave of momentum, is looking to make a statement by defeating one of the division’s all-time greats. The stakes could not be higher, given that both fighters have everything to gain. As a result, ‘The Great’ has made some sacrifices to stay in top shape.

On his YouTube channel, he said, “We originally thought it was going to be Ilia or Lopes. I was just preparing for Ilia because that’s sort of what I got. Obviously, we did the face-off, and then I was getting told we’re not exactly sure. He was talking about moving up, so that’s when we were like, all right, something may be changing. But I have been preparing for April in Miami for a while now.” Speaking further on his training, Volkanovski stressed his dedication to preparation, adding that he had cut out alcohol and cheat meals far earlier than usual to stay in peak shape.

He admitted that, while he is not a huge drinker, this kind of discipline is unusual for him this early in camp. “I’ve had a pretty long camp already, so I’ve got stuck into it early. As you could see, I’ve made sure I’ve got the kilos down a little bit as well, staying off the alcohol. I’ve done that for probably about 13-14 weeks out from the date, which is very early for me.” Alexander Volkanovski is going all out in his quest to reclaim the featherweight championship at UFC 314. He’s fine-tuning his diet, recovery, and overall strategy. But what other major updates have now been dropped by the UFC boss?

More updates were revealed on UFC 314 after Alexander Volkanovski’s fight news

During his Instagram livestream, the head honcho made numerous crucial statements, the most notable being Ilia Topuria‘s aforementioned decision to vacate the featherweight crown. The No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter felt he could no longer make 145 pounds and decided to move up to lightweight. Dana White stated that Topuria’s next fight would be announced shortly, with many predicting a high-profile fight against Islam Makhachev for the lightweight throne.

In addition to confirming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes as the main event for UFC 314, the boss announced that the biggest MMA promotion in the world had signed former Bellator champion Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire. The Brazilian veteran will make his UFC debut against former interim champion Yair Rodriguez in Miami, adding another high-stakes featherweight fight to the card. The co-main event will feature flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his title against Kai Kara-France, while lightweights Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett will compete in a high-profile fight.

The head honcho also offered updates for UFC 315, stating that Belal Muhammad would defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena after No. 1 challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov was injured. Meanwhile, Leon Edwards will now meet Sean Brady at UFC London, after Maddalena’s switch to UFC 315. What do you think? Will Dana White find success with these events? Let us know in the comments.