“I think Volk is going to win with the experience. He’s going to weather the early storm unless he gets knocked out.” UFC middleweight contender Jared Cannonier was onto something when he said that about Alexander Volkanovski on the Overdogs Podcast before UFC 314. And true to form, ‘The Great’ weathered a storm indeed! Though he walked away with a unanimous decision win over Diego Lopes, the fight was nothing short of brutal. Despite suffering a second-round knockdown and possibly injuring his hand, Volkanovski showcased his signature sharp jab, leg kicks, and calculated movement throughout the contest. The judges scored it 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46 in his favor, but it was far from a ‘clean’ victory.
Lopes was every bit as dangerous as advertised. In Round 2, he landed a vicious shot that knocked Volkanovski down and left him with a nasty injury under his left eye. Volk was visibly bleeding. And by his own account to Fox Sports Australia, was nearly blinded in that eye for the rest of the fight. Following the bout, he received medical attention—and even the doctor was stunned by the extent of the damage.
Volkanovski later recounted the moment while speaking to TMZ Sports: “I have got a few stitches here and there. I couldn’t tell you how many, there are quite a few though, like, there is some up here somewhere. There any or there may be [showing the stitches under his eyes]. And a couple here, here some on the lips. And then I have got some in my mouth as well. So, that’s yeah, quite a few, quite a few there. I don’t know, it was weird like you know. That’s what even the doc said like when he was stitching me up he goes, ‘Mate looks like you’ve been in a bare-knuckle fight.’”
The only-two-time undisputed featherweight champ added, “It just must have been with how Diego Lopes likes to throw, he can be like, quite scrappy, so you get different parts of his hands, you get like some of these knuckles coming through.”
April 12, 2025, Miami, Fl, Miami, Fl, United States: Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes at Kesaya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, FL /PxImages Miami, Fl United States – ZUMAp175 20250412_zsa_p175_521 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
Coach Joe Lopez added more context to the incident, revealing that Volkanovski may have been injured early in the fight. While speaking to Submission Radio, Lopez claimed that Volkanovski suffered a hand injury just minutes into his UFC 314 clash. “He might have broken his hand,” Lopez said of Volkanovski. “We’ve still got to get that X-ray. So he did hurt his hand. It was earlier in the fight, I think. Alex didn’t say anything afterward, it was just at the end, he was just saying, ‘Look, I think I busted my hand.’ I can’t remember which round.”
Even after the fight, Volk talked about the extent of his injury. Let us see what he had to say!
Alexander Volkanovski details his injuries and credits Diego Lopes after UFC 314
According to the Aussie champ, the severe injury happened during the second-round knockdown by Lopes. While speaking to the Main Event staff backstage, he explained, “I completely lost vision in my left eye [in the second round].” However, the 36-year-old showcased his pedigree and experience by continuing to fight and giving credit where it was due.
He praised the Brazilian dynamo for the powerful strike and said, “It was a good shot, and then I just could not see. And I was like trying to get it back. And it was completely gone.” He continued to praise Lopes on his YouTube channel, stating that the battle scars were pretty solid and that he was having difficulty eating because of the stitches in his mouth.
With a black eye, a cut under the lip, and a possible broken hand, Volkanovski emerged victorious and reclaimed the featherweight title once again. What do you think about his injuries in this fight? Does it highlight Lopes’ prowess as a fighter as well? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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