Aussie UFC superstar Alexander Volkanovski matches record with successful title defence, hints at next move

Alexander Volkanovski has secured a long-desired title fight win in his home country, taking down Brazilian contender Diego Lopes to retain his featherweight belt at UFC 325 in Sydney.

The Aussie superstar is now level with the legendary Jose Aldo for most title fight wins in featherweight history, having secured his eighth.

Volkanovski was greeted with a hero's welcome, with the near-capacity crowd singing along to his iconic walkout song 'Down Under'.

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It was an even first round with both fighters remaining cautious of the others' knockout power.

The only notable moment in a relatively boring first round came in the final 90 seconds as the Aussie landed a couple of powerful blows to Lopes' face, which didn't seem to affect his challenger. A handful of good strikes throughout the opening round gave Volkanovski an early edge on the judges' scorecards.

The opening of the second round was much similar to the first, with Volkanovski being the aggressor and forcing his challenger to his back feet. In the final two minutes the reigning champ showed signs of aggression and landed some nasty blows to Lopes.

After stuffing a takedown attempt, the hometown hero got the crowd excited with a guillotine submission, which was successfully defused by the Brazilian.

Heading into the third round it seemed likely that Volkanovski was on the path to retaining his title with a 2-0 lead on the scorecards. It was in this round when the fight really came to life, with both fighters stunning each other with consecutive jabs. 

The Sydney crowd was left stunned as Lopes' right hand landed clean on Volkanovski's jaw, dropping the champ to his knees where he was quick to recover.

While round four remained uneventful for most of the time, a late exchange between the title challengers ignited a wild finish. Unfortunately for Volkanovski, an accidental low blow kick towards Lopes was the most notable moment.

With five minutes remaining and the title all but set to return to Volkanovski's waist, the Aussie started to take firm control of the bout. Two consecutive takedowns and a shot that dropped the Brazilian was just the start in an entertaining round.

Lopes answered back with a solid takedown of his own, followed up by a couple of strong submission attempts, all of which were successfully defended by the champion.

A late armbar attempt from Lopes had the crowd silent for a few moments, but as was the theme of the fight, the Aussie regained control and finished the fight on top.

Volkanovski was given a convincing win by the judges, as they scored the contest 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45. 

The Sydney crowd was electric after hearing the result.

In his post-fight interview, Volkanovski revealed he was open to any opponent for his next fight and alluded to a potential bout with Lerone Murphy or Movsar Evloev.

"Obviously I made it clear; whoever's next is next, whoever deserves it," Volkanovski said.

"I think they might be doing maybe Movsar or Lerone Murphy. We'll see if that happens.

"While they're doing that I'll talk to the team and just see what's next."

The Wollongong product was ecstatic to finally get a UFC title win in front of his home fans.

"I almost had my moment in Perth, but I've had my moment here in Sydney," he said.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Sydney.

"It ain't getting any easier. In camp there was [sic] a lot of things going on, but we pushed through.

"Adversity is a privilege. I've said it all along. It makes it more of a challenge and fires me up even more.

"That's what makes a champion. Grit, determination, sacrifices – I've got it all under fire."