The return of Diego Lopes, the rising star who wanted to dethrone Topuria

Diego Lopes stormed into the UFC and quickly became one of the sport’s rising stars. He was even floated as a potential rival for Ilia Topuria when the Spanish-Georgian still held the featherweight crown. But when Topuria moved up to lightweight and vacated the belt, Lopes fell to Alexander Volkanovski, who reclaimed his throne.

In the early hours of Sunday morning (2:00 a.m. ET, MAX), Lopes will return to the Octagon at UFC Noche to face his fellow Brazilian Jean Silva.

Lopes’s trajectory once seemed unstoppable. Although he lost his debut by decision to Movsar Evloev, he bounced back with a string of wins, three of them in the first round. He set his sights on Topuria, the newly crowned champion, and was briefly considered as a possible challenger before that opportunity went to Max Holloway. Just a month earlier, Lopes had demolished Brian Ortega – one of the division’s biggest names – earning his title shot.

Everything appeared to be aligning for the Brazilian. Volkanovski was coming off the only two knockouts of his career – both brutal defeats – and many wrote him off. But the Australian reminded the world why he has long been considered the greatest featherweight of all time, beating Lopes by unanimous decision in April to reclaim the belt Topuria had taken from him.

Five months on, Lopes is back, eager to fight his way toward another title chance. “I’ll be back. Nothing surprised me – we knew Volk was very experienced. I think I made mistakes on the technical side and should have been more explosive. I know I’ll fight for the title again in the future and I’ll be champion,” he said after the loss.

Lopes: a Mexican at heart

His comeback will be on one of the UFC’s most symbolic cards – UFC Noche, the promotion’s annual event celebrating Mexican Independence Day. For Lopes, it is a night that carries personal meaning. “Like it or not, I’ll keep representing Mexico and Brazil. It’s that simple,” he told Récord.

Lopes moved to Mexico at 19 to train jiu-jitsu and has spent more than a decade living there. He speaks fluent Spanish and has embraced his adopted country as home. “It’s my way of giving back the love and support people have shown me. When I came to Mexico, I had nothing, and people stood by me. Imagine if I got to the UFC and forgot about Mexico? That’s not who I am. My parents raised me with values, and I’m grateful. Like it or not, on September 13 I’ll walk out with the flags of Brazil and Mexico,” he said firmly.

The fight with Silva could serve as a stepping stone to another title shot. With Ortega out of the picture after losing to former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling – who is also building a case for a title opportunity – the path is narrowing. For both Lopes and Silva, Saturday’s clash may prove decisive for their future in the featherweight division.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.