"The UFC returned to Australia for UFC 325, as Alexander Volkanovski put his featherweight title on the line in a rematch against Diego Lopes. While not the most tantalizing main event, considering that we saw this same matchup last April, the rest of the card had some intrigue with a pair of fights that did not disappoint and a prospect on the rise."
"There's a point while watching Volkanovski's win over Lopes where you'll ask yourself: Wasn't the last fight more competitive? The answer is yes. And while this fight was pretty good, it's hard to shake the fact that we just saw it. It didn't take long to realize that Volkanovski still had Lopes' number and was going to win another decision. The champion simply outskilled the rugged Lopes to retain the title."
"The "God of War" relied on his wrestling against Hooker, deploying a brilliant game plan that sucked the fight out of Hooker and prevented him from using his striking. The constant takedown attempts by Saint Denis eventually led Hooker to go for an ill-advised leg trip during a clinch attempt. Saint Denis snuffed it out and landed on top, where he eventually was able to use ground-and-pound to earn the early stoppage."
Alexander Volkanovski retained the featherweight championship by outskilling Diego Lopes in a rematch that felt less competitive and less memorable than their previous encounter. The remainder of the card delivered mixed results: a standout performance from Saint Denis used relentless wrestling and timely ground-and-pound to stop Hooker early, representing arguably the biggest win of his career. Several other bouts offered intrigue, with technical striking that escalated into explosive finishes. Overall expectations were modest, and the event failed to significantly exceed those lowered expectations despite notable individual performances and a prospect emerging.
Read at ESPN.com
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