3 biggest storylines ahead of UFC 325

UFC 325 is upon us.

In Saturday's main event, Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title in a rematch with Diego Lopes. In the co-headliner, Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint Denis collide in a marquee lightweight bout.

Here are three key storylines ahead of the UFC's return to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

How long can Volkanovski stay on top of the featherweight division?

Volkanovski has already cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters ever. He has the second-most title defenses (five) and second-longest winning streak (11) in UFC featherweight history. He's also beaten the who's who of the 145-pound division, from Jose Aldo and Max Holloway (three times) to Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega. But here he is, at 37, still looking to make his resume even better.

Volkanovski is seeking the first defense of his second title reign against Lopes, a familiar opponent whom he beat by unanimous decision at UFC 314 last April to capture the vacant belt. The UFC's decision to book a rematch was puzzling, but with Volkanovski a year older, Lopes could have a stronger shot at winning. Lopes, 31, rebounded from the loss to Volkanovski with a vicious knockout of Jean Silva at Noche UFC last September, earning himself another title shot.

All of this begs the question: How long will Volkanovski's second reign last? In a deep featherweight division that historically favors younger fighters, "not long" seems like a reasonable answer. But this is also an all-time great we're talking about. Volkanovski proved a lot of people wrong when he came back from back-to-back knockout losses to defeat Lopes, becoming the oldest fighter to win the UFC featherweight belt. Maybe, just maybe, Volkanovski can keep the championship ride alive a while longer.

Will Saint Denis be in title contention with a win over Hooker?

Saint Denis is looking to keep the momentum going following a resurgent 2025 campaign.

After consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in 2024, Saint Denis had appeared to hit his ceiling as a lightweight contender. However, he rebounded with three straight wins last year, including a 16-second knockout of Beneil Dariush and a submission of Mauricio Ruffy. Now, Saint Denis is back on the right track.

The No. 8-ranked lightweight has a major opportunity in front of him. A win over Hooker, ranked No. 6, would have Saint Denis knocking on the doorstep of title contention - and a step closer to becoming one of the division's elites.

Is Tuivasa fighting for his job?

Taking on Tallison Teixeira in a heavyweight bout, Tai Tuivasa returns to the Octagon this weekend for the first time since August 2024.

The 32-year-old Australian has fallen on hard times, as he's lost five in a row and hasn't won since knocking out Derrick Lewis in February 2022. Notably, four of those losses were finishes.

Thanks to Tuivasa's popularity and fan-friendly style, the UFC has given him a longer leash than others. Some of the defeats were also a bit excusable, given the steep level of competition: Ciryl Gane, Alexander Volkov, and Sergei Pavlovich, among others. But if Tuivasa doesn't get past Teixeira, who's 1-1 in the UFC, there's a good chance that will mark the end of his run in the promotion.