UFC 325 fight fallout: What's next for Alexander Volkanovski, Benoit Saint Denis, Mauricio Ruffy and more

UFC 325 has come and gone. With it, new opportunities have arrived for its winners and losers. 

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski built his case as the all-time best featherweight. Beating Lopes consecutively wouldn't do much on its own, but the fact that he won by a bigger margin the second time helps. To grow that legend further, it's time to fight top featherweight contenders champing at the bit.

Saturday's event also injected more life into a stacked, action-packed lightweight division. Benoit Saint Denis and Mauricio Ruffy scored major finishes as they start prowling towards the very best.

In the aftermath of UFC 325, take a look at the best fights to make across the featherweight and lightweight divisions.

Featherweight

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev: Volkanovski floated the rumor of an impending title eliminator between Evloev and Murphy. Doing that leaves Volkanovski with no credible contender until the end of the year. Both men deserve a title shot, but Evloev moreso. Unfortunately, Evloev and Murphy aren't colorful characters, but meritocracy should still matter. UFC should book Volkanovski vs. Evloev next. In the meantime, Murphy can face Jean Silva in a title eliminator. It's a fight with high knockout potential that provides visibility and prestige to the winner.

Diego Lopes vs. Steve Garcia: Lopes shouldn't have fought Volkanovski twice in 10 months, but he's becoming a better fighter for it. He's gone 50 minutes with arguably the best featherweight ever without taking significant damage. That will serve him. While Volkanovski is champion, Lopes shouldn't get tangled up with top featherweights. He'd only risk log-jamming the division by beating guys who could progress towards the title. Garcia (No. 9) is due for a big fight. The rising contender has finished 15 opponents, including six of his last seven in the UFC. Garcia doesn't have that standout win on his resume, something Lopes provides and opportunity for.

Lightweight

Benoit Saint Denis vs. Max Holloway or Charles Oliveira: To effectively matchmake the lightweight elite, two questions must be answered. First, when will lightweight champion Ilia Topuria return? Second, how much more will the UFC brass punish Arman Tsarukyan? Saint Denis called out five fighters on Saturday: the two aforementioned, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. Saint Denis and Tsarukyan shouldn't fight anytime soon. It will set back a rising contender in a division that's on the precipice of a generational turnover. A win over Hooker doesn't equate to an undisputed or interim title shot either. That leaves the winner of the BMF title fight between Holloway and Oliveira, which headlines UFC 326. Saint Denis is obviously cut from that BMF cloth. Having him face the winner makes sense. It's Topuria's absence that gives me pause. I wonder if there's a world where the BMF winner gets booked against interim champion Justin Gaethje. If that happens, Saint Denis must settle for the loser of the BMF title fight instead.

Dan Hooker vs. Paddy Pimblett: Hooker and Pimblett exchanged nasty barbs over social media and in separate interviews. We won't rehash the subject matter; it's in poor taste. But the energy between them is something you can bottle into a thrilling fight. The media cycle and the fight have explosive potential. It's also an important crossroads fight for them. Pimblett must prove he can make the adjustments demanded of an elite lightweight. Hooker can show that there's life for him as a top fighter.

Mauricio Ruffy vs. Mateusz Gamrot: Ruffy will find himself in the lightweight top 10 after a beautiful second-round KO against Fiziev. The composure he showed after training with featherweight champion Volkanovski will do wonders for his highlight reel finishing ability. The top of the division is quite crowded, and I wouldn't want to see his potential stifled by someone like Tsarukyan. Gamrot is a credible lightweight who's a half-step behind the very best. It risks seeing Ruffy get smothered by a superior grappler, but it's the kind of test Ruffy must pass to make a real run at the title.

Rafael Fiziev vs. Manuel Torres: What's not to love about this fight? Both men are terrific finishers. For Fiziev, it's similar to his fight with Igancio Bahamondes. It's a chance to revitalize himself against a surging contender. For Torres, who has consecutive TKO wins, it's the right test at the right time. He fell short to Bahamondes in 2024, so beating Fiziev puts him on the right track in a deep division. 

Quillan Salkilld vs. Jalin Turner: Salkilld looked phenomenal, tearing through short-notice replacement Jamie Mullarkey. The rising prospect is at a crucial crossroads. Salkilld, 26, has his best years ahead of him. Giving him time to mature is in his best interest. However, a growing profile and ambition will likely expedite the process. Salkilld called for a top 15 lightweight. That's ambitious after beating an inconsistent veteran on short notice, but we can meet him halfway. Former ranked lightweight Turner is coming off a first-round knockout against Edson Barboza. It was a reformation for Turner, who briefly retired after a 1-4 skid. It's a solid fight between comparable names who are on the right track to a ranking.