Alexander Volkanovski is UFC featherweight champion once again. Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 314 to capture the vacant title. Were there concerns that Volkanovski may have been gun-shy after suffering nasty knockouts to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria in back-to-back fights,

Alexander Volkanovski is such a legendary mixed martial artist that he could have been brutally knocked out in the UFC 314 main event, and still counted on a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame, and the adulation of fans to decades to come.

In combat sports, victory often comes at a steep physical cost, with fighters absorbing devastating damage even in winning performances. Battered faces, swollen eyes, and hidden injuries frequently tell a deeper story than the judges’ scorecards.