Issue 208
August 2024
Diego Lopes has a fight game that’s the epitome of adaptability, thriving where others falter, and Fighters Only’s E. Spencer Kyte outlines why he’s become such a compelling character
In the early hours leading up to the UFC 303’s weigh-in, Diego Lopes was told about a shift in the number he would need to post on the scale. The next day, after making 155lb for his scheduled clash with Brian Ortega, the Brazilian was told the bout was off. Instead, Las Vegas resident and divisional mainstay Dan Ige had popped off his couch and was headed to T-Mobile Arena, with the two penciled in to face off at 165lb. In less than 48 hours, the short-notice fight with Ortega had morphed into one of the shortest-notice fights in UFC history against Ige at a 165-pound catchweight. Most fighters wouldn’t have accepted a fight with Ortega on two weeks’ notice since Ortega’s only two non-injury losses have come against Holloway and Volkanovski. Some would have balked at the overnight change in weight classes. However, at every turn, Lopes smiled, agreed to the change, and pushed forward. He focused on making the walk to the Octagon to create one of the most electric and captivating opening stretches to a UFC career in recent memory.
LONG ROAD TO BEING AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
Lopes began jiu jitsu when he was five and entered competitions two years later. He was a purple belt by 16 and began his professional mixed martial arts career when he was 17. Leaving home at 19, he moved from his native Brazil to Mexico to coach jiu jitsu and create an MMA career. Like many young, inexperienced fighters, there were some early stumbles. Still, after two early losses, Lopes rattled off nine straight wins before taking a fight in Russia and getting knocked out. Six months later, he was back in the win column, putting together a seven-fight streak that included victories over UFC veterans Rony Jason, Marco Beltran, and Masio Fullen. His success earned him an opportunity to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series’ fifth season, where he was matched with Brazilian Joanderson Brito.
After two competitive rounds, Lopes was poked in the eye 10 seconds into the third and could not continue. The foul was deemed unintentional. Brito was docked a point but not disqualified, resulting in the fight going to the scorecards. All three officials scored the fight 29-28 for Brito, who was awarded a UFC contract, while Lopes was left with blurred vision and an end to his win streak. Two months later, he lost a split decision to Nate Richardson for the Fury FC featherweight title in Houston, Texas, leaving him on a two-fight slide heading into 2022, where he then earned two victories to get things moving in the right direction.
NOT ALL LOSSES ARE CREATED EQUAL
His first UFC bout was on short notice against Russian Movsar Evloev, who was 16-0 at the time and coming off his best performance inside the Octagon
Most were unfamiliar with Lopes’ game. Even those who knew of his exploits on the regional circuit couldn’t have anticipated he would give the undefeated Russian fighter such a run for his money.
Noticeably bigger and more filled out than he was during his Contender Series appearance a couple of years earlier, Lopes met Evloev in the center of the Octagon and connected with a sharp right hand just as Joe Rogan was praising his striking skills. He denied Evloev’s first look at a level change, caught him clean with another shot as the two traded wild swings along the fence, and backed him to the other side of the cage, showing in the first 60 seconds of his UFC career that he was going to be a problem for the entire division.
Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com summed up the debut appearance brilliantly in writing about Lopes ahead of his bout at UFC 300 when he said, “After three rounds, Evloev kept the “0” in his loss column, but it was Lopes who was the talk of the town for his Fight of the Night effort.”
In 15 minutes, Lopes went from a relative unknown to an exciting new addition to the featherweight ranks. The thing with short-notice fights is that they create many opportunities to second-guess what you saw because the circumstances can be chaotic. MMA diehards know not to get too hyped about the new kid on the block who looked good but lost in a short-notice fight. That said, there will be plenty of intrigue surrounding Lopes’ second appearance on the biggest stage in the sport.
THE GENUINE ARTICLE
Lopes’ sophomore appearance in the Octagon came on August 5, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, and lasted 98 seconds against Gavin Tucker. After absorbing a shot to the groin 30 seconds in, Lopes took a minute to recover and got back to his feet. When Tucker tried to grab a single leg in the center of the Octagon, the Brazilian instantly attacked with a triangle choke, adding an armbar to the mix that ultimately forced the Newfoundland native to tap.
The weird thing about MMA is that folks are quicker to find reasons to question and criticize than they are to praise a competitor, and Lopes’ win over Tucker was one of those instances. After wanting to see what he did for an encore, his rapid win over the Canadian was met with a string of yeah-but-arguments that chipped away at his spectacular outing based on Tucker’s age and an extended stay on the sidelines. The detractors had gotten an emphatic performance but didn’t trust what they saw, carrying their same '… yeah, but I’m still not sure' questions into his UFC 295 meeting with Pat Sabatini in New York City. That fight lasted 90 seconds. Sabatini landed the first good shot of the fight — a right hand to the jaw on the end of a three-punch combination — but Lopes wore it well. When Sabatini looked to take the fight to the canvas, the Brazilian fought him off and clipped him as he rose to his feet. With blood in the water, Lopes, whom Rogan called ‘a predator’ seconds earlier, went on the offensive, firing off big shots that sent Sabatini tumbling awkwardly into the fence, with Lopes finishing him with a series of unanswered blows after he ricocheted to the ground. In the span of seven months, Lopes went from being a Contender Series alum to someone people write articles about.
A CONTENDER EMERGES
Determining where athletes fit in their divisions tends to follow a familiar path. Early fights are against entry-level opposition to ensure they’re ready to compete at the highest level. Next, they move forward with more experienced foes or other emerging names. If these hurdles are cleared, it’s step-up time with bouts against more established foes or similarly streaking hopefuls. It’s like playing Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! on Nintendo, where the challenges you face get more complicated. When you lose, you stay at that level or step back, sharpening your skills until you can beat whatever fighter turns you back.
Debuting with a quality effort in defeat against Evloev allowed Lopes to skip straight to facing more established competitors. His expedient finishes of Tucker and Sabatini made it clear he was someone to pay close attention to in the featherweight ranks. If the fights with Tucker and Sabatini were designed to get a read on where Lopes fit within the divisional hierarchy, the matchup with Sodiq Yusuff at the UFC 300’s super-show was meant to determine where he sat with ranked opponents. After taking 98 seconds and 90 seconds to dispatch Tucker and Sabatini, respectively, Lopes shaved another second after his finishing time against Yusuff, putting him on the deck with an uppercut in tight a minute into the contest before dropping him again with a similar shot, flattening him out, and pounding out the finish from back mount.
Less than a year into his UFC career, Lopes was 3-1 with three consecutive finishes in 98 seconds or less, having claimed Performance of the Night bonuses in each of those victories while forcing his way into the rankings. He was a rising star exploding in popularity who has the kind of finishing abilities and instincts that prompted pundits, diehards, and casuals to wonder aloud if they were watching the ascent of a future title contender.
THE MAN YOU CALL WHEN YOU WANT EXCITEMENT
It’s telling that Lopes was called to join the UFC 303 fight card when the anticipated main event clash between McGregor and Chandler was shelved. Yes, while Alex Pereira’s phone rang, so did Lopes’ with the opportunity to face a former title challenger in a matchup that could catapult him into the thick of the 145lb weight class. Those things don’t happen to everyone, and they don’t happen out of the blue either. This match felt like it would provide more insights into where Lopes fit within the division and just how dangerous and talented he was.
As much as Ige rightfully garnered huge props for hopping in his car to face the surging Lopes on a day when he woke up without plans to get into a fist fight, the Brazilian’s willingness to say “Yes” to every new UFC plot twist cannot be undersold. So many fighters like to say they’re down to fight “anyone, anywhere, any time,” but are M.I.A. when short notice opportunities land in their laps. His entire UFC career has been an example of his willingness to take every challenge. It’s a tremendous part of what has made him one of the sport’s biggest breakthrough stars, along with his all-action approach and glorious mullet-Bieber swoop combination hairstyle.
A NEW FAVORITE
From the jump, Lopes is the kind of guy you want to root for — an attacking fighter who is guaranteed excitement each time he crosses the threshold into the UFC cage. With each subsequent victory, he's showing he’s a serious threat in the featherweight division. While the fight with Ortega didn’t happen over the summer, it’s since been re-booked as part of the main card at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas. If he earns a fifth straight victory, there may not be anyone with a better case to challenge the victor of Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway in 2025 than the streaking Brazilian standout.
Yes, that includes long-time champ Alexander Volkanovski, who may want to consider calling for a fight with the Noche UFC main card winner to get himself back into the cage before trying to reclaim the title. Even if that isn’t how things play out, you know it won’t matter to Lopes — he’ll be happy to face whomever he has to face, whenever he has to face them, to keep inching closer to challenging for championship gold. And unlike so many of his contemporaries who talk a big game, you know he’ll genuinely be ready to do it under any circumstances. And that’s what we love about him.
