Hot on the heels of last week’s debut event on Paramount Plus, the second major UFC event of 2025 took place Saturday night at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. In the main event, Alexander Volkanovski (28-4 MMA, 15-3 UFC) successfully defended his featherweight title against Diego Lopes (27-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC), the same opponent he defeated nine months ago to reclaim the top spot in the 145-pound division.
The main card also featured statement wins from lightweights Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and Mauricio Ruffy (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC). Meanwhile, Tallison Teixeira (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) handed Aussie favorite Tai Tuivasa (14-9 MMA, 8-9 UFC) his sixth consecutive loss, and rising prospect Quillan Salkilld (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) continued his ascent with a submission victory over Jamie Mullarkey (18-9 MMA, 6-7 UFC) in the main card opener.
Let’s take a look at what could be next for the biggest winners from UFC 325.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski delivered a masterful performance in Saturday’s main event, drawing level with the great José Aldo for the most victories (eight) in UFC featherweight championship bouts. Having once again firmly established himself as the top fighter in the 145-pound division, the Australian’s focus now shifts to the growing list of contenders awaiting their opportunity.
Jean Silva (17-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) added his name to that list with a win over Arnold Allen at UFC 324 a week ago, while Arman Tsarukyan’s (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) suggestion that he might be tempted to move down to 145 pounds certainly caught the champion’s attention during the lead-up to Saturday’s fight.
Based purely on merit, however, the top two contenders are surely Lerone Murphy (17-0-1 MMA, 9-0-1 UFC) and Movsar Evloev (19-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC). With both unbeaten contenders set to go head-to-head at UFC London in March, the right to challenge for Volkanovski’s belt next will surely await the winner.
Benoit Saint-Denis
After dominating Dan Hooker en route to his fourth straight victory in Saturday’s co-main event, it’s safe to say Benoit Saint-Denis has consigned his nightmare 2024 (during which he suffered losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano) to the history books.
“God of War” said after the fight that he would love to face the winner of the upcoming BMF title bout between Max Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) and Charles Oliveira (36-11 MMA, 24-11 UFC). However, it’s unlikely either former champion would be eager to look down the rankings for their next opponent, regardless of the outcome of their UFC 326 main event.
Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t have that luxury, however, and his name was also on Saint-Denis’s lips Saturday night. The Armenian contender isn’t in a position to turn down any fight the UFC offers, and a matchup with BSD would be unmissable.
Mauricio Ruffy
Mauricio Ruffy returned to the win column with a much-needed knockout victory over Rafael Fiziev in the middle of Saturday’s main card. The Brazilian’s demoralizing loss to Benoit Saint-Denis last September temporarily stalled his momentum after an impressive start to his UFC career, but the emphatic manner in which he flatlined his opponent in Sydney should help him get back on track.
“One Shot” will likely be ranked inside the top ten at 155 pounds when the latest official UFC rankings are released this week, and a matchup with No. 7-ranked Mateusz Gamrot (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) would give Ruffy another opportunity to prove he has learned from the mistakes he made against Saint-Denis at UFC Paris.
Tallison Teixeira
The fact that Tallison Teixeira is a top fifteen-ranked heavyweight despite only having fought inside the Octagon three times points to a severe lack of depth in the division. After making it out of the first round for the first time in his career during Saturday’s decision win over Tai Tuivasa, the 30-year-old Brazilian could well find himself paired with Marcus Buchecha (5-2-1 MMA, 0-1-1 UFC) next time out.
Quillan Salkilld
In less than twelve months, Quillan Salkilld has racked up four wins inside the Octagon, three performance bonuses, and a trio of breathtaking finishes. It’s clear the UFC sees potential in the 26-year-old Australian…the big question is: how quickly do they want to push him?
Salkilld has called for a ranked opponent next, and there’s a possibility the UFC could match him with one of the senior statesmen who appear to be sliding down the 155-pound rankings. Beneil Dariush (23-7-1 MMA, 17-7-1 UFC) and Michael Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) sit eleventh and twelfth, respectively, and if the UFC wants to fast-track Salkilld up the division, either of these veterans could be used to accelerate his ascent.
