Ilia Topuria is the 145-pound king no more
UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will vacate the title as he moves up to 155-pounds to challenge current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The UFC will return to Kaseya Center with an electric bout that sees No. 1 ranked contender Alexander Volkanovski and No. 3 ranked contender Diego Lopes battle for the vacant UFC featherweight championship.
In addition, exciting lightweight contenders No. 7 ranked Michael Chandler and No. 12 Paddy Pimblett lock horns in the five-round co-main event.
UFC 314 tickets will go on sale Friday, February 21 at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, February 20 starting at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
UFC 314 will take place Saturday, April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The Early Prelims will air on ESPN+, Disney+, and UFC Fight Pass starting at 3:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Late Prelims available on ESPN+, ESPN, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET. The ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET.
UFC 314 marks the fourth UFC event in Miami, Florida. Since debuting with UFC 42: Hughes vs. Sherk in 2003, UFC has held a total of 23 premier sporting events in Florida, across six cities which featured ten world championship bouts.
Former UFC featherweight champion Volkanovski (26-4, fighting out of Windang, NSW, Australia) returns looking to reclaim his throne. The Australia native has delivered a Hall of Fame worthy resume with wins against the likes of Max Holloway (x3), José Aldo, and Yair Rodriguez. Volkanovski now looks to defeat Lopes in dominant fashion and kickoff a new historic reign.
Lopes (26-6, fighting out of Puebla, México by way of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) looks to achieve his dream of becoming UFC champion. Currently riding a five-fight win streak, Lopes made a name for himself in the 145-pound division with wins against notable names such as Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, and Sodiq Yusuff. He now looks to add Volkanovski’s name to his list of victories and finish the former champion in unforgettable fashion.
Chandler (23-9, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Nashville, Tenn.) looks to once again deliver fireworks. The all-action battler has entertained fans with his highlight reel finishes over Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker. Chandler now looks to make quick work of rising contender Pimblett and position himself for a big 2025 campaign.
England’s Pimblett (22-3, fighting out of Liverpool, Merseyside, England) sets out to steal the show. A fan-favorite, Pimblett has lived up to the hype by delivering impressive wins against the likes of King Green, Tony Ferguson, and Jared Gordon. He now embarks on the biggest challenge of his career, as he looks to finish Chandler in emphatic fashion and continue his climb to greatness.
Additional bouts on the card include:
• A dynamite featherweight matchup will see No. 5 ranked contender Yair Rodriguez (16-5, fighting out of Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico) welcome Patricio Pitbull (36-7, fighting out of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) to the Octagon• A high stakes welterweight contest pits No. 10 ranked contender Geoff Neal (16-6, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) against No. 13 Carlos Prates (21-6, fighting out of Taubate, São Paulo, Brazil)• No. 8 ranked light heavyweight contender Nikita Krylov (30-9, fighting out of Kislovodsk, Russia) and former title challenger No. 11 Dominick Reyes (14-4, fighting out of Victorville, Calif.) square off• Dana White’s Contender Series featherweight alums Dan Ige (18-9, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Haleiwa, Hawaii) and Sean Woodson (13-1-1, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) are set for battle• No. 1 ranked strawweight contender Yan Xiaonan (19-4 1 NC, fighting out of Beijing, China) goes toe-to-toe with No. 3 Virna Jandiroba (21-3, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil)• UFC lightweight veteran Jim Miller (38-18 1 NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) takes on Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Chase Hooper (15-3-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.)• Featherweights Darren Elkins (29-11, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) and Julian Erosa (30-12, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Yakima, Wash.) look to deliver fireworks• Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Sedriques Dumas (10-2, fighting out of Pensacola, Fla.) takes on Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-9 1NC, fighting out of Barki, Poland) at middleweight• Sumudaerji (16-7, fighting out of Sichuan, China) and Mitch Raposo (9-2, fighting out of Fall River, Mass.) seek to make a statement when they meet at flyweight• Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Alberto Montes (10-1, fighting out of Barquisimeto Estado Lara, Venezuela) collides with Roberto Romero (8-4-1, fighting out of Chihuahua, México) at featherweight• Middleweight Tresean Gore (6-2, fighting out Lawrenceville, Ga.) looks to halt the momentum of Marco Tulio (13-1, fighting out São Paulo, Brazil)
