Alexander Volkanovski faces Diego Lopes in rematch at UFC 325 in Sydney

SYDNEY (AP) — Diego Lopes seemed almost like an afterthought this week at UFC 325 media day.

Some questions directed at featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski concerned whom he might fight next after facing Lopes on Sunday.

The odds, however, suggest this might not be such an easy fight for Volkanovski.

He is a -145 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook to defeat Lopes (27-7) for the second time in nine months. Volkanovski (27-4) conceded he couldn't take a repeat victory for granted after defeating the Brazilian by unanimous decision at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami.

“You’ve got to respect (Lopes' power)," Volkanovski said. "There’s going to be a lot of opportunities for me to capitalize when he’s that aggressive, but at the same time, you’re going to have that threat of him always looking for the KO. Even if it goes to the ground, always looking for the submission. That’s how he fights. That’s why he’s so dangerous.”

Volkanovski saw that up close in their prior meeting, getting floored in the second round and staggered by a punch to his eye in the fourth. Lopes then tried to finish him off in the fourth, but Volkanovski held his ground and wound up winning.

“I know I made a lot of mistakes in the first fight with Volk," said Lopes, the second-ranked challenger. "I forgot things in my game plan. I think I fixed it in the training camp. I fixed many things, so it’s completely different now.”

Volkanovski, who wore a Los Angeles Kings cap at the news conference, will have the home-country advantage. That certainly makes the bout more challenging for Lopes, who otherwise is one of the UFC's more popular fighters.

The 31-year-old knows he won't be on Sunday afternoon (Saturday night EST).

“I’m not worried about it (being booed)," Lopes said. "I left my home 11 days ago. For me, it’s not new. Whatever place Volk fights, people are supporting him, but I’m up for this.”

So is Volkanovski, who last fought in Australia three years ago when he lost by unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship in the main event at UFC 284. That loss before a sellout crowd of 13,000 energetic fans in Perth ended Volkanovski's 22-match winning streak.

Maybe this weekend will provide a different result.

“I want to have a big moment here," Volkanovski said. "That’s what I love about being here in Sydney because whenever I’m traveling away, everyone can’t be there live. They can’t be in the arena and feel the atmosphere.

"I want to go out there and look dominant and really give more of my supporters, family and friends that feeling or that moment that they’re going to remember forever. They still get that feeling at home through the TV, but there ain’t nothing like it Down Under. I can only imagine what that’s going to be like walking out.”

How many more times the 37-year-old Volkanovski continues to walk into the octagon remains to be seen. He made it clear, however, that retirement isn't on his mind.

Volkanovski, in responses to media questions, speculated about future potential matchups and that if he beats Lopes, he wants to take on the highest-ranked challenger.

“I plan on taking minimal damage out there, having a quick turnaround and then we’ll see what happens after that," Volkanovski said. “You’re seeing a lot of rumors. You’re seeing a lot of people, ‘Aha, this is going to be his last one.’ Obviously, I put that to bed. Definitely not the right time for this. I’ve still got a bit left in me. That’s why I want to be active because how much longer?”

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

FILE - Alexander Volkanovski, left, and Diego Lopes, right, battle during a mixed martial arts fight at UFC 314, April 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

NÜRBURG, Germany (AP) — Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen's chances of victory in his 24-hour racing debut at the famed Nürburgring track have been ended by an apparent mechanical issue with his car.

Verstappen had been leading Sunday morning by over half a minute, sharing a Mercedes AMG GT3 car with experienced sportscar racers Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.

Juncadella had just taken over from Verstappen when he had to slow down with an issue affecting the rear-right of the car and lost the lead before pulling into the pit lane. The car had not returned from the garage after an hour.

Coming a week before F1 returns at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Nürburgring race was a “bucket list” project for Verstappen. He's a keen racing fan and has questioned his future in F1 this year because he's unhappy with the 2026 cars' reliance on electrical power.

Verstappen made an immediate impact in his first stint Saturday evening with a fast, aggressive style typical of his driving in F1, going from 10th to the lead with a series of overtakes. At one point, he lost grip over a bump and ran wide onto the grass, narrowly missing the barrier and he was later in a close battle for the lead overnight.

Verstappen was familiar with the Nürburgring after taking part in a series of shorter races in recent months to add to his years of virtual experience from realistic online simulator races.

It was still a challenge unlike anything in F1.

With 161 cars spread out along a 15.8-mile circuit, Verstappen had to weave past much slower cars and deal with constantly changing weather conditions on a hilly track where it can be raining hard at one point and dry at another.

It was also his first real test of night-time endurance racing without the huge floodlights that F1 uses to light up the track.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Max Verstappen stands in his pit before the start of a pit stop and observes the work during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

The pit crew works on Max Verstappen's Mercedes AMG GT3 car during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Daniel Juncadella, right, helps his teammate Max Verstappen to get into the car during a pit stop the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Max Verstappen, driving the Red Bull Mercedes AMG GT3, flashes his his headlights as he demands a clear path from a slower vehicle during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Saturday May 16, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

The pit crew works on the leading Max Verstappen's Mercedes AMG GT3 car, right, as it completes a pit stop at the same time as the second-placed Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL with Germany's Maro Engel, Germany's Luca Stolz, Germany's Fabian Schiller and Germany's Maxime Martin, during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)