LAS VEGAS – Diego Lopes wishes nothing but the best for Brian Ortega after an illness threw a monkey wrench into their UFC 303 showdown Saturday. He also hopes they get booked again.
After Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) withdrew from their co-main event clash at T-Mobile Arena, Lopes (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) faced four-hour-notice replacement Dan Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC), who he defeated by unanimous decision.
“I told you (Friday): Anyone, any time, anywhere,” Lopes told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’m going to fight every time. No problem.”
The attitude and actions displayed by him in the lead-up to UFC 303, that included taking a short notice bout, adjusting to an opponent missing weight, and then accepting a fight day opponent switch, had UFC CEO Dana White signing Lopes’ praises after the event’s conclusion.
White promised Lopes will have a spot on the promotion’s UFC 306 card at Sphere, an event dedicated to the celebration of Mexican Independence Day. Born in Brazil, Lopes is a Mexican resident.
Lopes hopes the Ortega bout can finally get done then and there.
“All the respect to Brian,” Lopes said. “We actually had information from the camp whenever that happened that he actually tried to make weight. I understand that he wasn’t able to make it to this fight. I hope he is good in health and I have absolutely no ill will toward him.
“If the UFC can actually reschedule that fight against Brian Ortega, I’ll be very happy. If they can reschedule that for the Sphere, even happier. … Yes, I’m happy – and put me in the top five.”
Lopes, 29, has risen to stardom over the past 13 months since he accepted a short notice bout vs. Movsar Evloev in May 2023. The bout, which he lost, gained him notoriety for his competitiveness against a ranked opponent.
The theme of adapting to adversarial circumstances is something that’s followed Lopes, but it’s also what he attributes his success to.
“I think with everything that happened in the past 48 hours, people need to put respect on my name,” Lopes said. “I think I’m ready to fight anyone in the top five. … This is what my life has been. My life has been about windows of opportunities. It happened. Look at my first fight. Look at my debut in the UFC. It basically happened with two days of traveling on a five days’ notice to fight.
“I have a great team to work with. What we did I think was basically a sit down. We found out with this team that this was a great opportunity and we’re ready for the fight and we’re going to take it all in.”
It’s unclear what Ortega’s next move will be and if he’ll stay at featherweight. He told MMA Junkie in the lead up to UFC 303 that he previously committed to a lightweight move prior to the offer.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
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