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Diego Lopes vs. Yair Rodríguez Among The Options For UFC Mexico Main Event In March

Diego Lopes could be finally getting his chance to headline a UFC event for the first time. The surging UFC featherweight sensation enjoyed a stellar run last year, racking up three consecutive victories inside the Octagon. His most recent outing was at UFC 306 in September, where he claimed a commanding unanimous decision victory over […]

Diego Lopes could be finally getting his chance to headline a UFC event for the first time.

The surging UFC featherweight sensation enjoyed a stellar run last year, racking up three consecutive victories inside the Octagon. His most recent outing was at UFC 306 in September, where he claimed a commanding unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Brian Ortega.

After that victory, Lopes set his sights on high-profile matchups that could bring him one step closer to his first title shot. Among those he targeted was former kingpin Alexander Volkanovski for a potential title eliminator. However, “The Great” swiftly dismissed the challenge, revealing that he was instead focused on a rematch with the reigning champion, Ilia Topuria.

It seems the 30-year-old Brazilian is already forging ahead with his journey, as he revealed in a social media post on Wednesday that he has officially begun training for his first fight of 2025. From the looks of it, he’s landed the big-name opponent he’s been aiming for.

According to a recent report from Home of Fight’s Jake Noecker, Lopes is in line to face off against former interim 145-pound champion Yair Rodríguez in the headlining bout at UFC Mexico City. The upcoming Fight Night event is slated for March 29 at the Arena CDMX in Mexico.

Canadian reported Ariel Helwani later clarified the extent to which the bout is a done deal, noting that it’s one of the options for the main event in Mexico but is “far from set.”

While we are at it, the Mexico City main event is far from set, I’m told.

Could it be Lopes x Rodriguez? Sure. It’s been discussed. But prelim talks at the moment. Others have been discussed, too. Work in progress.

Perfect scenario for Lopes is fighting the winner of Topuria…

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 10, 2025

Rodriguez has been on the sidelines since his third-round submission loss to Ortega in February 2024. He’s now on a two-fight skid, with his slide beginning after a knockout defeat to Volkanovski in their title unification bout at UFC 290 in July 2023.

“El Pantera” secured the interim title at UFC 284 in February 2023, delivering a dominant third-round submission victory over Josh Emmett.

Mexico City Showdown: Diego Lopes to Battle Heavy Hitter Josh Emmett in UFC Headliner

Mexico City Showdown: Diego Lopes to Battle Heavy Hitter Josh Emmett in UFC Headliner A featherweight headliner between Diego Lopes vs. Josh Emmett is in the works for the UFC’s return to Mexico…

A featherweight headliner between Diego Lopes vs. Josh Emmett is in the works for the UFC’s return to Mexico City in 2025.

Per a report from Australian reporter Benny P on X, Lopes will look to land his sixth-straight win inside the Octagon when he meets Emmett on March 29.

Originally, it looked like Lopes was being lined up for an interim featherweight title fight with ex-champion Alexander Volkanovski. That no longer appeared to be the case after Volkanovski revealed his next fight would be a rematch with 145-pound titleholder Ilia Topuria.

Lopes last stepped inside the Octagon against former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC 306 in September. Lopes earned a unanimous decision victory, moving him to 5-1 under the UFC banner — his lone loss coming in his promotional debut against Movsar Evloev in May 2023.

Josh Emmett heads to Mexico city after scoring a brutal KO against Bryce Mitchell last year

Expected to meet Lopes inside Arena CDMX is Josh Emmett who will be making his 15th walk to the Octagon and carrying a solid 10-4 record on MMA’s biggest stage. It’s been more than a year since ‘CC0’ scored a horrifyingly brutal first-round KO against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 296 in December 2023.

Emmett is 2-2 in his last four, dropping back-to-back bouts against Yair Rodriguez and Ilia Topuria before bouncing back with his win over ‘Thug Nasty.’ Before that, Emmett was on a five-fight win streak with wins against the likes of Shane Burgos, Dan Ige, and Calvin Kattar.

Diego Lopes Invites Ilia Topuria To Repeat Point Down Against Him: ‘I Will Plant My Feet & Throw Down’

UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes insists he won’t shy away from a firefight should Ilia Topuria repeat his point-and-throw invitation against him down the line. Lopes has been staking his claim for the next shot at unseating Topuria from the 145-pound throne since “El Matador” got the better of Max Holloway in brutal fashion last […]

Continue Reading Diego Lopes Invites Ilia Topuria To Repeat Point Down Against Him: ‘I Will Plant My Feet & Throw Down’ at MMA News.

UFC featherweight contender Diego Lopes insists he won’t shy away from a firefight should Ilia Topuria repeat his point-and-throw invitation against him down the line.

Lopes has been staking his claim for the next shot at unseating Topuria from the 145-pound throne since “El Matador” got the better of Max Holloway in brutal fashion last month in Abu Dhabi.

The Mexico-based Brazilian was cageside for UFC 308 after weighing in as backup fighter for the championship main event. That fact, coupled with his triumph over Brian Ortega at the Sphere this past September, has put Lopes in prime position for a first shot at gold.

And should he get the chance to blemish Topuria’s perfect record in 2025, the #3-ranked contender has called on the Spaniard to repeat how he started the Holloway fight.

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Lopes welcomed an early brawl with Topuria, who made good on his promise to point down and offer to throw the kitchen sink at “Blessed” in the opening 10 seconds.

Holloway didn’t stray from his plan to dismiss that, but Lopes claims he’d do the exact opposite.

“Definitely, definitely, definitely,” Lopes said in Spanish when asked if he’d throw down with Topuria. “I’m telling you, I respect everyone, but I’m not afraid of anyone. If there’s anything I don’t have, it’s fear. I think I’ve shown that in all my fights. I’ve shown that I’m not afraid of anyone.

“As many times as he wants to point to the ground, I will plant my feet in the middle of the cage and throw down. It’s that easy,” he added.

To make good on those comments, Lopes will seemingly first have to either convince the UFC higher-ups of the merits of selecting him to face Topuria next over Volkanovski or add another win to his current run.

Following the champ’s successful defense in the Middle East, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to Volkanovski as Topuria’s likely next opponent owing to his stint as kingpin prior to running into “El Matador” this past February.

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Read More: UFC Announces Return To London For A Fight Night On March 22

Continue Reading Diego Lopes Invites Ilia Topuria To Repeat Point Down Against Him: ‘I Will Plant My Feet & Throw Down’ at MMA News.

Yair Rodríguez Says Two Potential Names Have Been Mentioned Ahead Of Targeted February Return In Mexico City

Yair Rodríguez revealed in a recent interview with MMA Junkie that despite his hopes of returning before the end of the year, it looks like the UFC has plans for him in the first quarter of 2025. “El Pantera” last competed in February where he was submitted by Brian Ortega in Mexico City. According to […]

Continue Reading Yair Rodríguez Says Two Potential Names Have Been Mentioned Ahead Of Targeted February Return In Mexico City at MMA News.

According to Rodríguez, there could be plans for the Octagon to go back to the same place one year later which opens up discussions about who he could possibly face in and around February. UFC 312 is set for the same month in Sydney, Australia which Alexander Volkanovski hopes to be a part of so it could end up being a big month for the featherweight division.

The former interim champion currently occupies the #4-ranking at 145-pounds which puts him in a good place for a big fight that could get him right back into the title picture. At the top of the division, you obviously have Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway fighting for the title this weekend at UFC 308.

We also have Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev being rescheduled for UFC 310 and that leaves a couple names that Rodríguez is yet to meet inside the Octagon who could make sense for this time frame.

Whilst in attendance in Abu Dhabi for UFC fight week, the Mexican star named two potential options that have come up in previous conversations.

“I always look to be fighting somebody that is in front of me or somebody that push me to fight for the title again. Names that have been mentioned to me in the past is Diego Lopes, who’s attending the event as well, and Arnold Allen and we’ll see how that goes. I’m just waiting to hear back from the UFC and whatever they want, I’m here to fight.”

Continue Reading Yair Rodríguez Says Two Potential Names Have Been Mentioned Ahead Of Targeted February Return In Mexico City at MMA News.

UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway

The UFC 308 main event is one of the biggest fights of the year between featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and his first challenger, Max Holloway. As is often the case with a fight of this magnitude, there is a backup fighter on standby in case either man is unable to compete on Saturday night. #3-ranked […]

Continue Reading UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway at MMA News.

#3-ranked Diego Lopes is in Abu Dhabi and will make weight on Friday knowing that he could be asked to step in and fight if anything happens to the main event. The Brazilian is coming off of a big win over Brian Ortega at UFC 306 but won’t likely be the next title challenger given Alexander Volkanovski’s current position.

Topuria vs Holloway is a fascinating contest but in the case that the fight falls apart at some stage on fight week, having a top contender and fan favorite ready and waiting would soften the blow.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Lopes gave his prediction for the headline attraction at the Etihad Arena on October 26. He’s previously stated that fighting Holloway would be his dream fight because he’s been watching him for a long time.

Despite the adoration that he has for the BMF titleholder, Lopes named the defending champion as his pick for the main event. A victory for “El Matador” on Saturday will surely lead to him bringing the belt back to Spain in the near future and this is something that the Brazilian contender also has his eye on.

“I hope, bro, I don’t know it’s crazy but Ilia mention my name. UFC have plans for UFC in Spain, UFC need the guy who speaks Spanish for the promotion for the fight. I don’t know, maybe Ilia wins, I win too. Maybe we go Spain, I speak Spanish for the promotion for UFC in Spain, it’s good.”

Continue Reading UFC 308 Backup Fighter Diego Lopes Predicts Topuria vs. Holloway at MMA News.

Aljamain Sterling Interested in Diego Lopes Fight After Withdrawing from UFC 307

After his fight with Movsar Evloev fell through, Aljamain Sterling has his eyes on a potential scrap with the…

After his fight with Movsar Evloev fell through, Aljamain Sterling has his eyes on a potential scrap with the surging Diego Lopes.

After a successful featherweight debut at UFC 300 in April, the ‘Funk Master’ was scheduled to square off with Evloev on October 5 in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately, Sterling was forced to bow out of the bout due to an injury.

Though it sounds like he won’t be on the shelf for very long, the former bantamweight champion is already looking past Evloev, eyeing a fight with the featherweight division’s No. 3 ranked contender instead.

“I don’t know [who could be next], maybe Diego Lopes. “Sterling told The Schmo while discussing his UFC return. “Maybe that would be a battle for the three [ranking]. If we’re talking the next best fight if Movsar declines, I don’t know who else we would fight. But, if you give me the option, I always wanted Brian Ortega so I could get the next closest spot to the top.

“Now that next closest guy is Diego Lopes. That’s all it is. It has nothing to do with what this guy did or that, but it’s the name value, what it gets me, the risk vs. reward. If I’m going to risk it for the biscuit, that’s the guy I’d want to risk it with” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Aljamain Sterling vs. Movsar Evloev likely to be rebooked

Lopes thrust into the featherweight top five at UFC 306 via a unanimous decision victory over ex-title challenger Brian Ortega. He is now 5-1 inside the Octagon with wins over the likes of Pat Sabatini, Sodiq Yusuff, and Dan Ige.

With Evloev unable to secure a short-notice opponent for UFC 307 next month, the promotion will likely reschedule his bout with Sterling for some time in late 2024 or early 2025, but we can’t help but be excited by a potential meeting between the explosive Lopes and one of the best grapplers in the game.