5 fighters who cannot afford to lose at UFC 314

This weekend sees UFC 314 go down in Miami, Florida. This event is packed full of stars and big names and looks like one of 2025's best.

With the amount of big stars in action at UFC 314: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, it's unsurprising that some of them will be under immense pressure.

For a handful of fighters in Miami this weekend, then, falling to defeat will not be an option. With that in mind, here are five fighters who cannot afford to lose at UFC 314: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes.

---

#5. Jim Miller - UFC lightweight contender

Now officially the second-longest tenured fighter on the current UFC roster, lightweight veteran Jim Miller will be hunting for his 28th octagon win this weekend.

Miller is actually on a strong run right now, winning three of his last four bouts. However, there's still jeopardy every time the 41-year-old is in action.

While Miller has always been a favorite of UFC brass, including Dana White, the promotion simply doesn't like to keep old veterans around anymore, particularly if they look past their best.

Clay Guida, Anthony Smith and Chris Weidman, for instance, were all released following losses at the end of 2024.

Therefore, if Miller loses to Chase Hooper - who coincidentally, did for Guida last year - then his spot on the roster could well be at risk. If he has no intention of retiring, then, the veteran needs to win this weekend.

---

#4. Dan Ige - UFC featherweight contender

Fighters who tend to produce fireworks in the octagon are always more likely to be safe from the chop than others. In that sense, Dan Ige doesn't need to worry about his UFC roster spot this weekend.

However, '50k' could really do with a win more than almost every other fighter set to compete in Miami.

Still ranked No.15 in the featherweight division, the Hawaiian is 1-3 in his last four bouts. It is worth noting, though, that his three losses came to fighters ranked above him, including Diego Lopes, who will fight for the 145-pound title this weekend.

This weekend, though, will see Ige fight prospect Sean Woodson. 'The Sniper' is riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak, and has yet to really defeat an elite-level opponent.

Given Ige has tended to beat all of the fighters ranked below him - only losing to high-level contenders - he'll probably expect to come out on top this weekend.

If he loses, though, Ige will not only slip from the rankings, he'll probably see a downturn in how he's viewed overall, too. More to the point, he'd be on a three-fight losing streak, a spot no fighter in the UFC wants to be in.

If he wants to remain a viable contender - or even gatekeeper - then, Ige must win in Miami.

---

#3. Yair Rodriguez - former interim UFC featherweight champion

One of the biggest fights on tap at UFC 314 will see former Bellator featherweight champ Patricio Pitbull debut against former interim 145 pound titleholder Yair Rodriguez.

In many ways, there will be a lot of pressure on both men in this one. However, if Pitbull loses, he'll definitely get more chances at the top. He won't even be the first champion from a rival promotion to struggle in his debut.

Rodriguez, though, might find his spot as a top-level featherweight in danger if he falls to defeat.

'El Pantera' is widely recognized as one of the world's most exciting fighters, but debates over how good he really is have raged for years.

Indeed, it could be argued that he's only ever legitimately beaten one elite-level foe in the form of Josh Emmett, who he submitted in 2023.

Right now, the Mexican is on a two-fight losing skid, losing against Alexander Volkanovski or Brian Ortega, a third loss in a row would definitely bring his high ranking into question.

If Rodriguez could knock off Pitbull, though, it'd probably count as the biggest win of his career, and could set him up for another run at the featherweight title.

With that considered, then, 'El Pantera' simply must win this weekend.

---

#2. Michael Chandler - UFC lightweight contender

UFC 314's co-headliner will see Michael Chandler take on Paddy Pimblett in a highly anticipated lightweight bout.

It's probably safe to say that Pimblett has literally nothing to lose here. The majority of fans don't expect him to win, and even if he suffers a defeat, 'The Baddy' will remain popular, particularly in his native UK.

The same cannot be said for Chandler, though. Put simply, 'Iron' cannot afford to lose.

Firstly, it's been a surprisingly long time since the former Bellator champ won a fight - almost three years have passed since he knocked out Tony Ferguson.

Sure, a lot of that is because of the length of time he spent waiting for a Conor McGregor fight that never materialized. But, the fact is that he's now on a two-fight losing streak.

To add to this, while there's no shame in losing to Charles Oliveira, Chandler was largely dominated in their fight, and at 38 years old, it's fair to question how much he's got left in the tank.

Given the massive question marks around Pimblett at the top level, Chandler will be hoping to win this weekend's bout handily. If he doesn't, then many observers will probably declare him washed up.

That could leave the future for the former Bellator champ very bleak indeed - meaning Chandler cannot afford to fall to defeat in Miami.

---

#1. Alexander Volkanovski - former UFC featherweight champion

Alexander Volkanovski has a very strong claim on being the greatest featherweight in MMA history. It's very likely that upon his retirement, 'The Great' will instantly be enshrined in the UFC's Hall of Fame.

Despite all of this, the Australian is still likely feeling the most pressure of any fighter set to be in action in Miami this weekend. Put simply, he can't afford to lose.

Volkanovski was dethroned last year by Ilia Topuria, ending his lengthy reign as featherweight champion. However, the loss was actually his second knockout defeat in a row, following a bad finish at the hands of Islam Makhachev in 2023.

With that considered, there are now some very real questions worth asking about the Australian's durability.

More to the point, if he loses to Diego Lopes, then many fans might begin to ask whether he ought to consider hanging up his gloves. After all, he is getting no younger, and has nothing left to prove.

Any title fight naturally has big stakes, and if Volkanovski can win, he'd be right back at the top of the mountain. A loss, though, could do irreparable harm to the Australian's career and leave him in no man's land.