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Alexander Volkanovski’s triumphant return at UFC 314 proved that age is just a number and class is permanent. The 36-year-old reclaimed the featherweight title with a calculated win over Diego Lopes and seemingly shattered the long-standing ‘35 and over’ curse in the UFC’s lower weight classes.
Former UFC flyweight king Demetrious Johnson has a quiet claim to breaking that barrier first. After parting ways with the UFC in 2018, Johnson took his talents to ONE Championship. Despite a crushing knockout loss to Adriano Moraes at 34, Johnson bounced back to stop his rival in their 2022 rematch to win the ONE flyweight title.
In his view, Volkanovski’s victory only highlights the UFC’s promotional might. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Johnson said:
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“Alexander Volkanovski, the first fighter thirty-five years or older to become champion in the 125 to 155-pound division in the UFC… This is so—it's not frustrating, but there’s been other athletes outside of the UFC who’ve done it before. Yeah, but that just shows you how big the UFC is. Like, nobody recognizes any other organization.”
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He added:
“But that is a big feat. Being over 35, I think I’ve done it against Adriano when I did the flying knee… I was 36 years old, and then I defended it at 37. But anywho...Yeah, absolutely amazing.”
Check out Demetrious Johnson's comments below:
Ilia Topuria responds to Alexander Volkanovski’s title win at UFC 314
Ilia Topuria recently reacted to Alexander Volkanovski recapturing the UFC featherweight title at UFC 314. After vacating the belt earlier this year, Topuria watched from afar as his former rival bounced back from two brutal knockouts and a year-long layoff to defeat Diego Lopes by unanimous decision.
While many expected a rematch, Topuria had already moved on. He defended his belt against Max Holloway last year before stepping away from the division. Speaking about Volkanovski's win during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Topuria said:
“He’s so great. I was so happy for him this Saturday because he really deserves to get that title back... I won. I defended. Right now, I have a completely different challenge in front of me. I wish him nothing but the best and to everyone, I wish the best wins all the time."
Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below:
