Ex-UFC champion tells Diego Lopes he has much work to do if he hopes to beat Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314

Diego Lopes will compete for a UFC title within two years of making his promotional debut, a phenomenal achievement. The featherweight made his debut against Movsar Evloev, one of the division's brightest contenders, at UFC 288. Lopes lost his first fight in the octagon via decision but has been undefeated since, winning his next five bouts.

He will take on former champion Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314 on Apr. 12, following Ilia Topuria's decision to relinquish the belt and move to lightweight.

However, according to former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Lopes has a lot of work to do tidying up his game if he hopes to beat 'The Great'. Sterling's comments were made online after coming across a social media post that predicted Volkanovski to "dismantle" his opponent at UFC 314.

'Funk Master' wrote this:

"Some people actually watch fights and break them down. It'll be a fun fight because of how Lopes fights but if Lopes doesn't clean up these holes, then Volk will regain the title. Your post is an honest assesment of his past few fights."

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments about Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes below:

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Alexander Volkanovski sends Diego Lopes a message ahead of their clash

UFC 314 will be headlined by a vacant featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. Many fans expected Volkanovski's next fight to be against Ilia Topuria in a rematch of their UFC 298 clash.

But Topuria's decision to vacate the title and pursue bigger challenges at 155 pounds has left 'The Great' facing Lopes instead. The Australian has opened as a slight betting favorite on the sportsbooks, and he believes that fans may be in store for the best version of Volkanovski that anyone has seen.

After the featherweight title fight was announced, 'The Great' sent a message to his upcoming opponent, saying this:

"I'm still feeling great, and with the one-percenters as well, you may be seeing the best Volk you've ever seen... I'm only going to get better from here. That's a scary thing, especially for Lopes. Lopes is in for a very, very, very hard fight. He's a gamer, he's a great dude. I've got a lot of respect for him. Very nice fella, I'm sure he's expecting to go out there and win the belt. But sorry mate, that ain't happening."

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's message to Diego Lopes below (5:47):