5 fighters who have the most to gain at UFC 314

This weekend sees UFC 314 go down in Miami, Florida. With a packed card, there's plenty at stake for a lot of fighters.

Most notably, several fighters have a lot to gain at UFC 314: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes. Some of these fighters simply need to win to continue their upward trajectory, while others have a chance to claim the biggest victory of their careers.

Here, then, are five fighters who have the most to gain this weekend.

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#5. Sean Woodson - UFC featherweight contender

Any UFC fighter who finds themselves on a lengthy unbeaten run is going to be given a step up at some stage, and that's exactly what Sean Woodson is getting in Miami.

'The Sniper' is riding a seven-fight unbeaten streak dating back to 2021, but he has yet to beat a really high-level foe in the octagon.

That could change this weekend. Woodson will face Dan Ige in the top-billed bout on the preliminary card, and if he wins, he'll likely steal Ige's No.15 ranking.

So can he do it? '50K' will be an interesting test for him as he's tended to beat all but his very best opponents, and Woodson will be the lowest-ranked foe he's faced since Andre Fili, whom he knocked out.

However, Woodson is the last fighter to beat Youssef Zalal, who has since climbed into the top fifteen and now sits at No.12. MMA math often doesn't work, but that alone should give Woodson hope.

With that considered, any chance for an unranked fighter to climb into the top fifteen in their weight class is huge. Hence, 'The Sniper' has a lot to gain if he can win this weekend's bout.

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#4. Patricio Pitbull - UFC featherweight contender

UFC 314's big debut will see former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Pitbull take on former interim 145-pound champion Yair Rodriguez.

Realistically, both men have plenty to gain here, as Pitbull would probably stand as the biggest win on Rodriguez's ledger if the Mexican can pull it off. However, the Brazilian has even more on the line, and it's hard to play down how big a victory could be for him.

Firstly, the list of champions from rival promotions to claim a victory in their octagon debut is surprisingly small, so if Pitbull could join them, it'd be a major boon for him.

Secondly, a win over 'El Pantera' who is ranked at No.5, would launch him directly into title contention. In fact, if he could knock out 'El Pantera', then it wouldn't be an outright surprise to see him granted a title shot next time out.

The same cannot really be said for the Mexican, as he's already been to the top and slipped back down. Therefore, Pitbull has a lot to gain this weekend, and if he can win, he could follow in Michael Chandler's footsteps as a former Bellator champ who became an even bigger star in the UFC.

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#3. Jean Silva - UFC featherweight contender

Similarly to Sean Woodson, Jean Silva is also being given the biggest opportunity of his career at UFC 314. Like Woodson, 'Lord' is set to take on his first ranked opponent, but if anything, he has even more to gain.

Firstly, Silva has been given a shot at a main card bout on a major pay-per-view for the first time in his octagon career.

Secondly, the bout is against not only an opponent who is ranked at No.13, but one of the most outspoken and controversial fighters on the roster in the form of Bryce Mitchell.

The fact that Mitchell has garnered so much controversy recently has also meant a much bigger spotlight on this fight, ensuring that Silva has the eyes of the fans on him like never before.

'Lord' is already widely recognised as one of the hottest prospects in the division. If he can deliver a performance as good as his knockouts over Melsik Baghdasaryan and Drew Dober and dispatch the villainous Mitchell, then he could become a major star in the process.

With that considered, then, Silva has absolutely everything to gain in Miami this weekend.

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#2. Diego Lopes - UFC featherweight contender

It stands to reason that any fighter who finds themselves in a bout with a UFC title on the line has plenty to gain.

However, this weekend, it's safe to say that Diego Lopes probably has more to gain than Alexander Volkanovski in their clash for the vacant featherweight title.

Volkanovski, of course, has already been to the top of the mountain, reigning as featherweight champ from 2019 through to last year, when Ilia Topuria dethroned him.

Lopes, on the other hand, has had one of the fastest climbs up the ladder in recent memory. He only debuted on short notice in May 2023 in a tight loss to Movsar Evloev. Since then, he's beaten five straight opponents, including Sodiq Yusuff and Brian Ortega.

The Mexico-based Brazilian's rapid rise and relatively short octagon career means that he has little to lose here. If he does come up short, the chances are he'll gain another opportunity in the future anyway.

The same cannot be said for the ageing Volkanovski, for whom this might be the final roll of the dice. Therefore, given he's coming into this clash as an underdog, it's safe to say that Lopes has a massive amount to gain this weekend if he can find a way to win.

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#1. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight contender

The likes of Jean Silva, Patricio Pitbull and Diego Lopes all have plenty to gain if they can win this weekend. However, all of those fighters also have plenty to lose too, whether that's hype or their status as a title contender.

The same cannot be said for Paddy Pimblett, who essentially has the equivalent of a free hit in his fight with Michael Chandler.

'Iron Mike' is not just a step up in competition for 'The Baddy', he's a huge step up. Prior to this, the best opponent Pimblett has ever fought was probably Bobby 'King' Green, who is past his best and wasn't as good as Chandler even when he was in his prime.

To say that very few observers are giving Pimblett a chance of winning, then, would be an understatement. However, the native of Liverpool is nothing but confident in his abilities, and of course, we've seen bigger upsets in the octagon before.

Therefore, Pimblett should feel no pressure coming into this one. Win, and he's an instant title contender and a superstar. Lose, and he's no worse off than he is now. In that sense, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain at UFC 314.