diego lopes says he has “no regrets” after his UFC 325 loss to Alexander Volkanovski, explaining that he is at peace with the result and focused on continuing forward rather than dwelling on what could have been.
What did Diego Lopes say about accepting the UFC 325 loss?
More than a month after the rematch, Diego Lopes described his mindset in blunt terms: “I’m good. I’m at peace with myself, ” adding that he views the defeat as something he has to live with rather than a moment that defines his career. He framed the outcome as part of the reality of competing at the top end of the sport, saying it is “not the end of the world” and that life and work continue.
Lopes also addressed the wave of comments he has received questioning why he lost. He pushed back on that line of criticism by pointing to what he considers the obvious explanation: the level of the opponent. In his view, Volkanovski’s ability and intelligence in fighting were decisive factors, and he emphasized that giving credit is the only honest response after being beaten twice.
What happens when game-plan adjustments still aren’t enough?
Lopes argued that the rematch was not a repeat in terms of preparation or approach. He said he and his team “truly made the adjustments” they believed were necessary, and he outlined specific areas where he felt he addressed prior feedback. He noted that after the first fight, people said he did not go for takedowns, so he made a point of taking Volkanovski down in the rematch—while acknowledging he could not turn that moment into “anything big” because Volkanovski defended quickly, stood up, and shut down back takes and submission threats.
He also responded to commentary about his kicking by saying he kicked “a ton, ” even describing damage to his feet from kicking so much. In Lopes’ telling, the larger point is not whether he checked every tactical box, but that he feels he did “a bit of everything” and still came up short because Volkanovski executed better on the night.
To support the idea that the rematch was more competitive than some observers believe, Lopes pointed to striking numbers he cited from the fight: he said the two landed the same amount of strikes, and that he even threw slightly more—“169 to 168. ” He described the round-by-round differences as narrow—“a strike or two, max five strikes”—while identifying Round 5 as a key swing moment, saying that they had the most scrambles there and Volkanovski took advantage.
Where does diego lopes go from here?
Even while maintaining that he is at peace with the loss, Lopes’ comments also signaled that he is thinking about what comes next competitively. After losing to Volkanovski, Lopes fell to 27-8 as a professional. He also hinted at the possibility of moving up to lightweight, an idea that would represent a meaningful shift in his career direction after two title-fight losses to the same opponent.
For now, Lopes’ public posture is clear: he believes he prepared well, executed a broad game plan, and has no single decision he is obsessing over after the fact. His closing message is rooted in acknowledgment—he says Volkanovski beat him twice, and that the only viable path forward is to accept it, give credit, and keep moving.
