UFC 314 is now one for the books and the UFC featherweight division was showcased in a huge way. In the main event, the vacant UFC featherweight title was on the line as Alexander Volkanovski showed he’s one of the best in the world, especially at 145lbs as he defeated Diego Lopes over five competitive rounds.
Elsewhere on the main card, Yair Rodriguez welcomed Patricio Pitbull to the big leagues., The Brazilian put in a lacklustre performance, getting out-pointed across 15 minutes. Jean Silva put on the featherweight performance to talk about, finishing Bryce Mitchell in the second round of their grudge match.
Dan Ige headlined the prelims and picked up an important win against Sean Woodson, albeit due to a poor referee choice.
Julian Erosa beat a very lacklustre opponent in Darren Elkins in a fight which had zero implications for the division.
We take a look at the UFC featherweight division, who might face who next and what’s on the horizon in an exciting, competitive division.
UFC Featherweight Gold Goes Through Australia Once Again
The UFC featherweight strap makes its way to Australia once again as Volkanovski makes history to become the first fighter in the lower weight classes to win a belt at age 36. Not only this, but he did so in dominant fashion. With two 49-46 scorecards and a 48-47, The Great turned back the clock, put the demons to bed of his recent losses and showed that he is still the man to beat at featherweight.
Volkanovski came into the fight aggressively, on the front foot and clearly had a plan of never standing in front of Lopes, but utilising his known, elite footwork to move from side to side to keep the Mexican guessing. He out-landed his opponent 158-61 on significant strikes, however, he took some damage himself. Suffering a big cut under his right eye, Volkanovski allegedly lost sight in his left eye due to a cuffing strike by Lopes in the fourth. Luckily for the new UFC featherweight king, he regained his eyesight soon afterwards and managed to see out the fight.
Discussing his victory after the fight, Volkanovski discussed wanting to return in July and then maybe again in September, setting up a huge 2025.
Rodriguez Bounces Back Against a Dissappointing Pitbull
Mexico’s Yair Rodriguez had quite the UFC 314 fight week. After going back and forth with Lopes at the press conference to the surprise of many, he was the man to welcome Pibull to the UFC featherweight division, finally.
Unfortunately for El Pantera, the lacklustre performance put in by his Brazilian counterpart overshadowed a solid performance. The first round saw Pitbull throw just 12 strikes, landing on only five occasions. Octagon jitters are a real thing, however, we’d assume that a man with 43 professional fights prior to his UFC debut would suffer no such fate.
Rodriguez’s boxing was on point, and as always, his kicking game was strong. The former interim UFC featherweight champion dropped Pitbull on his way to a unanimous decision victory. There’s a good chance that we will see Rodriguez vs Lopes at UFC 320 in Guadalajara, Mexico, as a potential grudge match no one expected. Let’s see, but it’s good to see Rodriguez back in the win column.
The Bark is as Bad as the Bite
Jean Silva continued the onslaught of his team, The Fighting Nerds, on the UFC. Picking up his fourth finish victory in under a year, Silva outclassed Bryce Mitchell for the entirety of their fight.
The two men seemingly had bad blood heading into the fight, however, Silva offered a glove touch, which Mitchell denied. From that moment on, Silva began his attack. Although Mitchell had his moments with some effective sidekicks and leg kicks, nothign really bothered the Brazilian.
Mitchell struggled with his takedowns, and a number of times that he did shoot, Silva was able to lock in a submission attempt, foreshadowing what was to come.
The second round began with Silva dropping Mitchell heavily but then seemingly becoming obsessed with a spinning back-elbow knockout, searching for the strike on multiple occasions. Once he gave up his pursuit, he continued to defend takedown attempts from Mitchell, ultimately locking up a ninja choke and putting Mitchell to sleep.
Jean Silva chokes out Bryce Mitchell (2025) pic.twitter.com/HmtznQu94G
— Fight Pics That Go Hard (@fightpicsgohard) April 13, 2025
The future is bright for Silva and the fighting nerds. Get him back out as soon as possible.
Ige gets it done via Awful Stoppage
Dan Ige snapped a two-fight losing skid to remain ranked in the UFC featherweight division. Taking on the always dangerous Sean Woodson, the fight was a touch one to score. Both men had their moments in what was primarily a boxing battle.
The finish came early in the third round as Ige landed heavily on Woodson. Shooting for a desperate takedown, Woodson was unable to ground Ige, who landed several heavy shots. The referee jumped in to stop the bout, however, Woodson was certainly still in the fight. It was a really disappointing finish to a solid fight.
