UFC 314 is a clash of the old vs. the new.
Combat sports are a cyclical production. The young talent enters the ranks, beats up the establishment, and enjoys their moment at the top, soon becoming the veterans of the day. Before too long, the next generation repeats the process, and the veterans are now looking aged and tired in the cage.
Old vs. new is therefore the lifeblood of combat sports, but UFC 314 still stands out in that three of the five main card fights — including the main and co-main event — feature a fighter seemingly on their way out, desperate to dig a heel into the dirt and halt the natural order of things.
Alexander Volkanovski, Michael Chandler, Patricio Pitbull — a trio of incredibly gifted and accomplished fighters. Their various accomplishments could make for an entire article, so let’s keep it brief: Volkanovski was the best fighter alive just a couple years ago, the Aussie GOAT. Chandler served as the face of Bellator for a decade, a three-time Lightweight champion. Pitbull stood out as Bellator’s finest for the same span, a two-division champion and likely the best non-UFC fighter of the era.
They enter UFC 314 at 36, 38, and 37 years of age respectively. Volkanovski has been finished twice in the last two years, Chandler dominated and submitted in his last two fights, and Pitbull knocked out in a round just one fight ago. Historically, fighters over the age of 35 don’t do well in the elite ranks below 170-pounds at all, and that trend grows even more accurate when finish victories rack up against them.
Standing opposite the old guard will be Diego Lopes (30), Paddy Pimblett (30), and Yair Rodriguez (32). None of these younger contenders are green behind the ears, as they each have competed at least 25 times as a pro. In terms of skill and accomplishment, all three lag far behind their opponents, yet Pimblett and Rodriguez are favored by odds makers, while Lopes enters at about even money.
While on the topic of odds and age, the widest betting gap on the entire card is Jim Miller (41) versus Chase Hooper (25). Do I even have to write which man is favored?
We’re looking at three possible passing of the torch moments, which are always difficult to predict. The trio of older fighters — on paper — have clear cut paths to victory. Volkanovski should be able to pick apart Lopes, Chandler should catch that high-flying chin, and Pitbull should easily ground the fancy kicker. If we were running a simulation based on stats, the outcome is obvious.
Fighting doesn’t work that way, however. Aggression, durability, and power are routinely more important that strategy and technical know-how, and those attributes belong to the young. Despite the gap in skill, there’s every chance a Lopes overhand levels Volkanovski inside two minutes.
The younger fighters could make it look easy or they might get schooled. The old guard could turn back the clock or suffer more damage that brings the end even closer. There’s likely to be some mix of veterans pulling it off and young talents imposing their physical advantages.
We won’t know who is who until late Saturday night, and that’s the intrigue of UFC 314.
