Diego Lopes is still a hot commodity despite his recent UFC title fight loss.
During the UFC 332 broadcast this past Saturday, the promotion announced that Lopes will move up the lightweight division to challenge Carlos Oliveira for the BMF ceremonial title at the UFC’s year-end designated event – UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas. Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Tuesday, Lopes, who has fought in the UFC since the beginning of the crisis, explained why now is the time to move up in weight.
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“Now I think I’m in a very solid place to move to 155″ [pounds]because I lost two seasons [Alexander Volkanovski]”Lopez said the crowned.” I won my last fight at 145. We don’t have a lot of options at 145 right now, and I wanted to move on to the 155 sports fights.
“it depends” [whether I’ll go back down]. I feel my body, power, strength and conditioning at 155. After this fight, if I can, let’s take a look. [stay or go back]. Now, my weight is still good. I can go down to 145 if the UFC needs me in the future.”
Lopes, 31, said he has been talking with his team about moving up in weight classes for a long time. And while he fought as low as bantamweight in the pre-UFC years of his career, Lopes somehow awkwardly declined to come into the fight right at 155 pounds, having previously had a catchweight of both 150 and 165 pounds.
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Two months out from UFC 335, Lopes said he is around 175 pounds and believes he is the perfect fit for the BMF title fight. But that is not the only thing that fights well.
“My first option was talking to the UFC about getting Dan Hooker in the main event in Paris, but the UFC signed the French guy. [Salahdine Parnasse]and I’m not fighting this,” Lopes said. “Carlos Oliveira said. If not, maybe “BSD” (Benoit Saint Denis) in New York. So the UFC fight with Oliveira, and I’m happy with this fight.”
It’s been full gas and no targets for Lopes since entering the UFC in May 2023. Lopes’ most recent win — a second-round knockout of Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House — was his 10th fight in the promotion.
Coincidentally, Lopes’ departure from 145 pounds is preceded by the next fight between the only two fighters he has lost to in the promotion: UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and fellow contender Movsar Evloev, who on Oct. 24
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Lopes believes he is in a big spot regardless of the winner of Volkanovski vs Evloev, but knows he has his hands full with Oliveira first.
“If “Volk” wins, it’s good for me. If Movsar wins, it’s also good for me, because I lost to both guys. So I don’t care,” Lopes said. “But I hope ‘Volk’ can take this fight and make the best of his career. He’s a legend of the game and maybe one of the top three, five guys of all time.”
“He is the best in the world and he deserves to finish his career very well.”