Robert Whittaker believes Diego Lopes has what it takes to pull off a major upset against Charles Oliveira at UFC 335.
Lopes will make the move up to lightweight when he takes on Oliveira for the BMF title in the UFC 335 main event on December 12 in Las Vegas. The former two-time featherweight title challenger enters the matchup as the underdog, with Oliveira installed as the early betting favorite.
Whittaker, however, sees things differently.
Speaking on his MMArcade podcast, the former UFC middleweight champion backed Lopes to get his hand raised, pointing specifically to the matchup on the ground and the Brazilian’s ability to overwhelm his opponents with pressure.
“I love this fight, especially for Diego Lopes. I think he gets it done,” Whittaker said.
“I love Charles Oliveira like everybody else, okay? But I don't think Charles will have the ground superiority that he always has.”
That could be a significant factor against Oliveira, who has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous submission specialists in UFC history. The former lightweight champion has built much of his success around his ability to drag opponents into chaotic grappling exchanges and capitalize when they make even the smallest mistake.
Whittaker believes Lopes may be capable of taking that advantage away from Oliveira.
“And I think it comes to just toughness, guts, and just walking people down, Lopes has to be your favorite,” he added.
