Two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes could be leaving the division for good. In fact, his intention is to compete as a lightweight in his next fight.
Lopes stepped on the scale twice for the UFC White House event earlier this month in Washington D.C., making 146 pounds for his clash against Steve Garcia, and minutes later, returning as a backup for the lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Lopes knocked out Garcia and his services weren’t needed as Gaethje stopped
Topuria to unify the belts, and he now aims to compete at 155 pounds.
With Alexander Volkanovski still reigning as featherweight champion with two title fight wins over Lopes, the Brazilian knows he is “in a bit of a tough spot” to actually campaign for another chance at “The Great” in the near future despite his UFC resume with wins over the likes of Jean Silva, Brian Ortega and Dan Ige.
“It’s a little difficult,” Lopes told MMA Fighting. “As long as Volkanovski doesn’t retire, it’s going to be hard to get another title shot. I’d have to be rooting for him to lose, but I’d rather see him retire as champion, because he was such a great champion for the division. Seeing him walk away with the belt would be something really special. Then he’d leave the door open for the guys coming up, and I see myself as part of that group too.”
“But I’m definitely in a bit of a tough spot,” he continued. “I have this desire to move up to 155 and take on an exciting fight. I think there are some great matchups for me in the top five or top six, fights that fit my style really well. So I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen in my division. I had a conversation with the UFC this past weekend and we actually talked more about the lightweight division than the featherweight division. I think the possibilities for a fight at 155 are opening up even more. We’ll see what happens and what the UFC’s plans are as well.”
Lopes said he first came up with the idea to volunteer to serve as the backup for Topuria vs. Gaethje after noticing that Arman Tsarukyan wouldn’t be in Washington D.C., and was paid an undisclosed amount of money for weighing in twice. Lopes weighed 166 pounds by he time he entered the octagon to fight Garcia on June 14.
“When we realized Arman wasn’t going to make it, because he was the official backup for the fight, I told my manager to text Hunter [Campbell] and see what he said,” Lopes said. “The worst he could say was no, so it wasn’t going to hurt us in any way. I just wanted to show that I’d be there if anything happened. Hunter actually surprised me. He said, ‘Wait, are you serious?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m serious.’ Then he said, ‘Alright then. If you want, I’ll give you the green light to weigh in as the official backup for the fight.’ And they officially announced me as the backup.”
Lopes simply rehydrated a bit before returning to the scale on Saturday morning, this time wearing clothes and a hat, and believes it actually sent a message to the UFC that he’s serious about a change of weight classes.
Yet, he wasn’t confident that something would happen to either headliner.
“Just the fact that they accepted me as the official backup makes you think, ‘Alright, the chances are tiny, but it could happen.’ You never know,” Lopes said. “Maybe one of the guys gets food poisoning or something and can’t fight [laughs]. There’s always a chance. But honestly, I was pretty relaxed. I just wanted to go there, do my job, win my fight, and that’s it.”
Lopes said his initial plan was to fight at lightweight after his most recent defeat to Volkanovski in January, but the promotion instead opted to book him against Garcia. Right now, however, if given the chance to decide, he would tell the UFC lightweight is “definitely” where he wants to be.
“Given where I am right now, it’s very difficult,” Lopes said of which fight would make sense at featherweight. “One name that might make sense is Yair Rodriguez because of the history between us, but we haven’t heard anything about him in over a year and a half. Since I fought in Miami, I’ve already fought three times, and nobody knows what’s happened with him. If the UFC gives me the opportunity to keep fighting in both divisions, I’d love that. But if they told me, ‘You have to pick one weight class,’ then, considering where things stand right now, and with Volkanovski still being the champion, I think I’d choose 155.”
