Better to be safe than sorry …
Following the conclusion of UFC 325 last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, promotion officials confirmed to MMAmania.com
that three fighters were transported to a local hospital for precautionary evaluation after absorbing significant damage in their respective bouts.
Those fighters were main event loser, Diego Lopes, UFC veteran Dan Hooker, and prospect Oban Elliott.
Lopes was taken to an Australian hospital for precautionary CT scans of his head and face after his five-round main event loss to Alexander Volkanovski. He is also scheduled to undergo imaging on his foot, which appeared compromised late in the fight.
The 31-year-old was competing for UFC gold for the second time in his career and ultimately came up short once again. Despite the setback, Lopes remains firmly entrenched near the top of the Featherweight division, holding a 6–3 record inside the Octagon and remaining a clear threat to anyone at 145 pounds.
Hooker was also transported for precautionary CT scans of his head and face following his second-round stoppage loss to Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event (watch highlights).
Notably, this marks the second consecutive bout in which “The Hangman” has been sent to the hospital following a loss. While Hooker is now riding a two-fight losing streak — both by finish — it’s worth remembering that prior to this skid, he was on a three-fight tear that included impressive wins over Mateusz Gamrot, Jalin Turner, and Claudio Puelles.
Elliott was the third fighter transported for a precautionary CT scan after being choked unconscious in his loss to Jonathan Micallef (watch highlights). “The Welsh Gangster” standout is now on a two-fight losing streak after opening his UFC career with three straight victories, including a “Performance of the Night” knockout of Bassil Hafez.
At this time, the results of the fighters’ scans have not been publicly disclosed.
It is normal for UFC to transport fighters to the hospital for precautionary reasons, especially if the fighters are involved in three-round battles that are full of damage or after suffering nasty knockouts.
Stick with MMAmania.com for the fighters’ health-related updates.
For complete UFC 325 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
