Dana White thought UFC 320 would be a celebration, a third grand ‘Noche’ event in Guadalajara to honor Mexican Independence Day. But just like a fighter missing weight, things didn’t go according to plan. Construction delays meant the arena wouldn’t be ready in time. So now, instead of fireworks in Mexico, the UFC will touch down in San Antonio, Texas, at the Frost Bank Center. What was once UFC 320 has now reportedly been downgraded to a ‘Fight Night’ card.
With the change came questions. What happens to UFC 320? What would be the headliner for the card if it’s no longer a ‘Noche UFC’ event? Well, according to Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC head honcho and Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell, have already put the wheels in motion. And it looks like a rematch may be on the horizon!
Alexander Volkanovski confirms Yair Rodriguez rematch as Movsar Evloev left out of the title picture for UFC 320
Speaking to ‘Fox Sports’ in an interview, which was shared by ‘Championship Rounds’ on X, the reigning featherweight king confessed, “Yeah, again they’re obviously rumors, nothing’s locked in, it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t going to be Movsar, coz that’s who I thought, you know, would be. Like, you know, obviously him being undefeated and on the sort of tear that’ he’s on, but I think they’ve matched him up, you’ve seen him tweet something about that. ”
So what’s really going on here? After Ilia Topuria left the division, the featherweight crown was up for grabs. Volkanovski took it back by beating Diego Lopes at UFC 314. And in a subsequent interview on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’, he indicated, “I do like that undefeated record [of Evloev]. I’d love to take that zero, especially for legacy and where I’m at.”
Evloev is currently 9-0 in the UFC with an overall undefeated record of 19-0. The names on the record? Impressive wins over Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, and Dan Ige, just to name a few. You’d think that would be enough to make a case for a shot at the title. Yet, Volkanovski revealed, “Yair’s name has popped up. No dates set right now… The rumors you’re hearing are pretty much true, but nothing’s locked in.”
Alexander Volkanovski says the rumors surrounding the rematch between him and Yair Rodriguez are true, but nothing is locked in yet
“Nothing’s locked in. It’s pretty clear that it wasn’t gonna be Movsar… Yair’s name has popped up. No dates set right now… The rumors you’re… pic.twitter.com/tUAxvW2Uv8
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 5, 2025
Is this the rematch fans want? Maybe not. After all, in their first clash at UFC 290 in 2023, Volkanovski battered the Mexican fighter to secure a third-round TKO finish. Since then, Rodriguez has only fought twice, once in 2024 against Brian Ortega, where he got submitted in the third round. And most recently, at UFC 314 against Patricio Pitbull, where he won a unanimous decision.
So, is this worthy of a title shot with an undefeated contender standing by? That’s a question only Dana White and Hunter Campbell can answer. At the moment, Movsar Evloev is reportedly scheduled to clash with UFC newcomer, Aaron Pico, on July 26th in Abu Dhabi. But according to another featherweight contender, the Yair Rodriguez vs Alexander Volkanovski rematch doesn’t bode well for the entire division!
Top 10 UFC featherweight blasts the idea of a Rodriguez vs Volkanovski rematch as “terrible for the division”
Lerone Murphy isn’t one to stir the pot for no reason. But when the idea of Yair Rodriguez sliding back into a title fight crept into the UFC rumor mill, the undefeated Brit couldn’t stay silent. And his words cut straight to the bone.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Murphy confessed, “That would be terrible for the division, for the sport, because realistically – not to say Yair is not a good fighter – but he’s lost about three or four title shots.”
But for ‘The Miracle’, it’s about merit, and the math doesn’t add up. He pointed to Rodriguez’s recent string of fights, which we mentioned above, and stated, “He’s only had one win in three fights, and it was against a guy that’s unranked.”
Is that really enough to leapfrog an undefeated duo like Movsar Evloev and Murphy himself? The concern here isn’t just about who deserves it. It’s about what kind of message the UFC brass sends to other fighters and even the fans. According to him, “Who wants to see that fight again? What’s really going to change? Nothing is going to change in that fight.”
In the end, if UFC 320 is no longer headed to Mexico, then why stick to a matchup built purely around national pride? Yair Rodriguez may be a star in his home country, but with the card now landing in Texas and losing its ‘Noche UFC’ status, that patriotic push loses its punch. For someone like Lerone Murphy, that just exposes the cracks in the decision even more.
Now the question becomes, should Alexander Volkanovski be facing someone new and hungry rather than rehashing old fights with predictable results? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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