Dana White Announces UFC 314 And UFC 315 Main Events

Volkanovski and Lopes lock horns in Miami, marking Volkanovski’s return to action after 14 months away following his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. “The Great” seeks 2-time champion status, and while most assumed that shot would come in a rematch against Topuria, Diego Lopes is arguably the hottest fighter in the division outside of “El Matador.” Lopes burst onto the scene in mid-2023, earning five wins in 13 months to catapult himself into the featherweight title picture. His most-recent effort was a 3-round beatdown of Brian Ortega at UFC 306. Less than two years into his UFC career, Lopes will challenge arguably the greatest featherweight of all-time for the belt.

FOLLOW @UFCNEWS: On Facebook | On Instagram | On X

The former featherweight champion is in unfamiliar territory having lost two on the bounce by knockout and three of his last four. However, the hyperactive 36-year-old has beaten everyone not named of Topuria and Islam Makhachev, and he is keen to regain his crown after more than a year out of competition.

White mentioned in his announcement that Topuria is vacating the featherweight title and his next fight will be announced on a later date. Topuria will be the champion until the first round starts in Miami.

Joining the featherweight title bout is a pair of highly intriguing matchups. First, Liverpool’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett gets his highest-profile test to date as he faces former lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler. Pimblett is coming off what was arguably his best performance in the Octagon, a first-round submission win over King Green at UFC 304. The rising scouse star, who turned 30 in January, is 6-0 since making his debut in September 2021 and figures to become a real player at 155 should he get past “Iron.”

The 38-year-old Chandler has been a big-game hunter since his Octagon debut in January 2021, and in six Octagon appearances, Chandler has earned five Performance Bonuses. However, he is 2-4 in those fights, and if he hopes to keep his championship aspirations alive, he needs to thwart Pimblett in Miami.

Finally, another major featherweight bout takes place in South Florida as former interim champion Yair Rodriguez welcomes Patricio Pitbull to the Octagon. Rodriguez is seeking his first win since earning the interim title in January 2023. Back-to-back losses to Volkanovski and Brian Ortega stymied his post-championship momentum, but the 32-year-old can get back on track in the title picture should be defeat the newcomer. On the other hand, Pitbull wants to make a debut-to-remember. Long considered one of the best featherweights outside of the UFC, the 37-year-old wants to take the quickest route to a title shot after spending his 43-fight professional career outside of the promotion. The Brazilian is dangerous everywhere, boasting 12 knockouts and 12 submissions on his resume.

UFC 314: Buy Tickets | VIP Experiences

The UFC 315 main event between Muhammad and Della Maddalena came as a surprise as Della Maddalena was slated to face former champion Leon Edwards in London on March 22. However, the Perth-bred contender is more than deserving of the shot at gold after collecting seven wins in seven Octagon appearances. Most recently, Della Maddalena scored a knockout win over Gilbert Burns at UFC 299. The 28-year-old graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series has his hands full against Muhammad, whose unbeaten streak stretches back to April 2019. “Remember the Name” took the long road to UFC gold, but he put it all together in a decision win over Edwards at UFC 304. Now, he gets to start his championship reign in earnest.

Joining Muhammad and Della Maddalena in Montreal is a highly-anticipated flyweight title fight between champ Valentina Shevchenko and France’s Manon Fiorot. Shevchenko, inarguably the greatest women’s flyweight of all-time, regained her belt after a year-and-a-half, 3-fight saga with Alexa Grasso. The trilogy culminated in a decision win for Shevchenko at UFC 306, and upon her victory, it was clear Fiorot was next in line. The 34-year-old in France has long been seen as a contender-in-waiting since making her Octagon debut in January 2021. Since then, she is a perfect 7-0 in the Octagon, including wins over Katlyn Cerminara, Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield in her last three.

UFC 315: Register Your Interest

Due to Della Maddalena’s title shot, the March 22 main event between he and Edwards in London was naturally scrapped. In the Australian’s place, Sean Brady will step up for his second main event opportunity. The Philadelphia-native scored his first 5-round win in a decision effort over Burns in September 2024 to increase his Octagon record to 7-1. This bout against Edwards is his potential ticket to the title picture. However, the 33-year-old former champion is keen to get his belt back as well. Edwards’ loss to Muhammad was his first since December 2015, and he is of the mindset that one or two more wins could get him back into that golden opportunity.

Stay tuned to UFC.com for any updates regarding fights and events.