The UFC returns to Miami this weekend for a battle for the featherweight title, as former champion Alexander Volkanovski attempts to reclaim the belt in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 314 (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET), facing first-time challenger Diego Lopes.
Also on the card, in a pair of lightweight fights, Michael Chandler looks to end a two-fight losing streak when he takes on fan favorite Paddy Pimblett and Jim Miller continues his pursuit of 50 appearances inside the Octagon in a matchup against jiu-jitsu specialist Chase Hooper.
There are 13 fights in all this Saturday, and here’s a number to remember for each. Let’s start with two stats that could help predict the results of the UFC 314 main and co-main events.
2 results
Featherweight championship: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
Lopes’ path to challenging for a UFC title has featured only two fight outcomes: first-round finishes (two wins by KO/TKO, one by submission) and unanimous decisions. None of Lopes’ six fights inside the Octagon has ended in the second or third round. Lopes has faced high-level competition since joining the UFC, including onetime title challenger Brian Ortega. His only UFC loss came in his debut in 2023 against top featherweight contender Movsar Evloev, a fight Lopes took on five days’ notice.
5 minutes, 17 seconds
Lightweight: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
For Chandler, the first few seconds of Round 2 appear to be make-or-break. Through six UFC fights, he has had his hand raised only when he was able to finish his opponent either in the first round or within the first 17 seconds of the second. The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion’s two wins inside the Octagon came via first-round knockout over Dan Hooker in his promotional debut in 2021 and by knockout over Tony Ferguson the next year with 4:43 showing on the clock in Round 2. Meanwhile, each of his losses has come after the fight passed that mark, including a 2021 knockout loss at the hands of Charles Oliveira with 4:41 left in the second round.
100% finishes
Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva
Of all the fighters on the UFC 314 card with more than one appearance inside the Octagon, Silva is the only one with a 100% finish rate in the UFC. Silva has knocked out each of his four opponents. Among all of his professional fights, only three have gone to the judges’ scorecards. Silva takes on jiu-jitsu specialist Mitchell, who was on the wrong side of a jaw-dropping knockout two fights ago. Could Mitchell be next for Silva’s impressive streak?
17 title fights
Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull
Pitbull, who recently signed with the UFC after being released by the PFL, is a Bellator MMA legend, having competed in 17 title fights — the most of any Bellator fighter. Only one fighter on the UFC roster can match that number of title bouts: heavyweight champion Jon Jones. And like Jones, who is expected to defend his title against interim champion Tom Aspinall next, Pitbull could find himself in his 18th title fight quickly, if he can get past Rodriguez, ESPN’s No. 6-ranked featherweight.
2 UFC runs
Light heavyweight: Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes
Krylov is one of two fighters on this card who have had multiple stints in the UFC. His first run was from 2013 to 2016, at which point he opted not to re-sign because he was looking to fight closer to his home country, Ukraine. He returned in 2018 but has been out of action for more than two years. Krylov will end his layoff in the opening fight of the main card. The other fighter on the card with more than one stint in the promotion is Julian Erosa.
Prelims (ESPN+/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET)
250 weeks
Featherweight: Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
It’s been a long time since Woodson has lost a fight. Woodson’s lone professional MMA loss was against Erosa more than four years ago — or, to be exact, 250 weeks ago. The only blemish to his win streak came at UFC 278 in 2022, when he and Luis Saldana fought to a draw. The former Golden Gloves-winning boxer will have his skills put to the test against his toughest UFC opponent yet when he faces Ige on Saturday night.
1 fight away
Strawweight: Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba
While the fight between Jandiroba and Yan is not being billed as a No. 1 contender fight, Jandiroba is likely a win away from cementing herself as the next challenger for the strawweight championship. The submission specialist has reeled off five straight wins, most recently a second-round submission over former title challenger Amanda Lemos last July.
There appears to be a clear path to challenge Zhang Weili for her belt, if Jandiroba can get past Yan. Zhang defeated Yan in a title fight at UFC 300 last year, and the other fighter ranked above Jandiroba in the UFC’s rankings, Tatiana Suarez, lost to Zhang at UFC 312 in February. The only obstacle in Jandiroba’s way would be a potential champ vs. champ fight between Zhang and women’s flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko.
40% of the tapouts
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper
Two of the UFC’s best submission artists will clash Saturday, as Miller and Hooper combined for 40% of submissions in the lightweight division last year. Hooper tapped out Viacheslav Borshchev and Clay Guida, and Miller submitted Damon Jackson and Gabriel Benitez. Hooper has won each of his past three fights by submission.
2 guillotines, 1 round
Featherweight: Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
While many fighters on the card will be looking to extend winning streaks, only one has the distinction of earning the wins by the same method and in the same round. Erosa beat his two most recent opponents — Christian Rodriguez and Ricardo Ramos — by guillotine choke in the first round. Can Erosa make it three in a row against Elkins, a 15-year UFC veteran?
Early prelims (ESPN+/Disney+, 6 p.m. ET)
0-for-2024
Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Oleksiejczuk looks to right the ship this year after being held winless in three fights in 2024. Oleksiejczuk had little time to find his rhythm in the first two fights of the losing streak, as Michel Pereira and Kevin Holland beat him by first-round submission. That may suggest a hole in his game, as five of Oleksiejczuk’s seven losses inside the Octagon have been via submission.
1,543 days
Men’s flyweight: Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
Oleksiejczuk isn’t the only fighter looking to end a three-fight losing streak. Sumudaerji finds himself in an even worse position. While Oleksiejczuk’s streak began last year, Sumudaerji’s dates back to July 2022. It’s been 1,543 days since he won a fight. Raposo could be just the opponent Sumudaerji needs while in this position, as Raposo has just one UFC fight on his résumé.
29th season on TV
Middleweight: Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio
Gore is one of two fighters on the card who competed on Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Gore was slated to fight in the championship fight of that season in August 2021, but a knee injury forced him to withdraw. Gore made his UFC debut in February 2022, losing by unanimous decision to the fighter he was to face in the “TUF” finale, Bryan Battle. Since that loss, Gore has won two of three fights, a streak that includes back-to-back submission wins. Raposo is the other “TUF” Season 29 alum on this card.
8 wins in between
Women’s bantamweight: Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan
Saturday night’s action will begin with a bout that features a fighter looking to bounce back. Cornolle suffered her first UFC loss in her last fight, dropping a split decision against Jacqueline Cavalcanti this past September. Coincidentally, Cornolle also lost to Cavalcanti in her MMA debut, that time by decision. In between those fights, Cornolle went on an eight-fight winning streak that included six knockouts.
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