UFC 325 Main Card Breakdown: Wild Fights, Blowouts, and What Comes Next

UFC 325 Main Card Breakdown: Wild Fights, Blowouts, and What Comes Next

What’s up, guys? Last night was a wild one—UFC 325 went down and I’ve got all the details on what I saw and how everything shook out. I’m gonna walk you through the main card, the way things really went down, and share who impressed me the most. Whether you watched it live or missed it, let’s break down every main fight, moment by moment.

Let’s get into the details.

Opening Banger: Quillan Keeps the Streak Alive

Alright, so the first fight of the main card was this guy Quillan at 155 pounds. I don’t even know exactly how to pronounce his name, but what I do know is he’s a real problem for anyone in the division. He’s now 4-0 in the UFC, and he got the win by rear naked choke.

“He didn’t even have the choke under the chin. Just basically jaw clamped him.”

That grip strength is crazy. Most guys can’t finish with the choke just across the jaw, but Quillan squeezed with so much power that it looked like his opponent had no choice but to tap.

Why Was This Win Impressive?

• Grip strength: To finish without even sneaking the arm under the neck is wild at this level.
  
• Composure: At only his fourth UFC fight, he looked like he’d been there ten times already.
  
• 4-0 Start: Not many guys go on a run like that out of the gate.

Big props to Quillan—he’s one to watch for sure.

“Sloppy But Wild”: Tattoo of Asa vs Towson Teixeira—The Heavyweight Experience

So next up was the heavyweights: Tai Tuivasa going up against Tallison Teixeira. Now, if you know heavyweights, you know things can get a bit… messy. And yeah, this one was not the cleanest technical fight, but it was wild and fun to watch.

The Heavyweight Difference

There’s something about heavyweight fights that just makes the whole grappling aspect look different. Seriously, if you compare the grappling level of most heavyweights in the UFC to lightweights, featherweights, it’s night and day.

• Grappling at heavyweight is “mind blowing” (and not in a good way)
  
• “Some of the rules don’t apply”
  
• You see guys like Derrick Lewis getting his back taken, then just standing up out of the mount like it’s nothing

Breakdown of the Fight

Tai Tuivasa came out swinging, got taken down, but also fired back with some big shots whenever he could get back up. What stands out though is, even after being mounted for what felt like half the fight, Tai Tuivasa kept finding ways to get up and swing.

“Basically a full five minutes of the fight he was mounted… but he got up and landed some big shots too.”

In the end, top position and ground control sealed the win. Heavyweights man, everything depends on power—one punch changes everything.

Who Got It Done?

Props to Teixeira for getting it done. Not the cleanest win, but a W is a W. Competitive, entertaining, and exactly what you hope for from heavyweights.

Striking Clinic: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Now let’s talk about a fight where you really see top-level skill on display: Rafael Fiziev taking on Ruffy. This was striking at its finest, especially out of Ruffy—he put on a clinic with his jab and reach.

What Made Ruffy’s Performance Stand Out?

• Ridiculously good jab: He was rolling it up from his hip, almost Tommy Hearns style, mixing up the angles and really throwing Fazeev off.
  
• Great use of reach: Ruffy was about 3–4 inches taller, using all of that to keep Fazeev at bay.
  
• Snap and Pop: Every strike looked sharp—go back and watch him snap the jab, then pop the right hand.

Ruffy fought tall, fought smart, and made the most of every advantage. When you see a fighter use their natural gifts and actual fight IQ to really make those gifts matter, it’s cool to see.

• Used range and strong points perfectly
  
• Never gave up reach or let the fight get into the phone booth
  
• Closed it out with a clean win

“Very impressive, using his range. Using his weapons that he’s good at, using his strong points and making them work for him. So props to him.”

Grappling Hustle: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Dan Hooker

This one was a scrap! Benoit Saint-Denis went up against Dan Hooker, and both these guys left it all out there.

How It Played Out

• Dan Hooker: Landed sharp front kicks, nasty round body kicks, and kept a nice, steady pace with his hands.
  
• Saint-Denis: Pushed forward, applying relentless pressure with his wrestling. Going for takedown after takedown, making Hooker work for every inch.

What’s impressive about Saint-Denis is just how physically strong he is and how smooth he is once he hits the ground.

“Saint-Denis' ground game was on point… once they hit the ground he transitioned to mount and other dominant positions very easily.”

What Did Hooker Do Well?

• Stuffed quite a few takedowns
  
• Got back up several times
  
• Fought off submissions and kept the fight competitive

Thing is, when someone keeps shooting—and especially with Saint-Denis’ kind of pressure—eventually that gas tank starts emptying. That’s what happened with Hooker here.

Final Takeaway

Congratulations to Saint-Denis. He used his ground skills, cardio, and pressure to break Hooker down and take the win.

Main Event Spotlight: Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes — Short Guy, Giant Skills

Now THIS is what UFC main events are all about. Alexander Volkanovski once again reminded everyone why he’s one of the pound-for-pound best. He went up against Diego Lopes in a fight that showed off why fight IQ, athleticism, and next-level skills matter—even more than size.

Volkanovski’s Secret Weapons

• Reads range better than anybody in MMA right now
  
• Fights off his back foot despite being shorter
  
• Always a step ahead, always making adjustments

This is the kind of stuff that separates champions from contenders.

“What the most impressive thing that I’ve noticed about Volkanovski… is how good he is fighting backwards for being so short.”

Let’s break this down. Most of the best counter strikers—like Anderson Silva—used their height and reach, and they moved a lot. But Silva was six-two, fighting smaller guys. Volkanovski? Dude is five-eight, sometimes three inches shorter and giving up big reach.

How Did This Fight Go?

• Volkanovski stayed off the center line, using slick footwork to fight backwards, picking Lopez apart
  
• Out-struck Lopes despite the shorter reach and height
  Mixed in takedowns, shut down every submission attempt, and made it look easy at times

Not once did Volk have to chase Lopes—he let the fight come to him and countered hard, earning at least four out of five rounds in my book.

The Back Foot Masterclass

You rarely see shorter fighters make a backwards, counter-striking style work. But Volkanovski does it against world-class guys, and keeps winning big fights.

“For a short guy like that to fight off the back foot, the whole fight is just really impressive. So props to him.”

What’s Next for Volkanovski?

The big question—does he move up and try again at lightweight, maybe take another run at the 155 belt, or does he keep defending at 145 where he’s still the king? Either way, the pay is good, and the options are plenty.

Final Thoughts: Who’s Next?

So that’s UFC 325’s main card—every fight delivered something different. Whether it was a wild heavyweight scrap, a technical striking masterclass, or a fight IQ showcase, last night was packed.

Quick Shout-Out

If you’re new to martial arts and looking for a gym or want to know how to really choose the right instructor, check out my book—The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Martial Arts School and Instructor.