Latest news with #DiegoLopes
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Alexander Volkanovski's UFC title reign up in the air as champion is denied preferred fight
Alexander Volkanovski 's next fight is up in the air, after the UFC champion's preferred challenger declared he is fighting a fellow contender this summer. Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight throne in April, outpointing Diego Lopes to win the belt that Ilia Topuria vacated in February. Twelve months earlier, Topuria knocked out Volkanovski to become champion, ending the Australian's four-year reign. And Volkanovski, looking to build a strong second stint with the belt, had made clear his desire to defend the gold against Movsar Evloev first. The Russian is unbeaten at 19-0 and last fought in December, outpointing ex-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Evloev was the most obvious next challenger for Volkanovski, 36, but the 31-year-old tweeted on Thursday (22 May): 'If you are a UFC fighter and believe you are the best in the world then you have fight every fight they throw at you. 'No risk no reward. See you guys in July, it's ON #AbuDhabi. '@alexvolkanovski thank you Champ for trying to fight me, I will fight in July and you fight in September, hopefully we both win and we can meet in December.' It is suspected that Evloev could face new signing Aaron Pico, 28, who has joined the UFC from Bellator, while Volkanovski's next challenger may be Yair Rodriguez through a process of elimination. While Volkanovski beat the Mexican handily in 2023, stopping him in round three, Rodriguez recorded a significant win against former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull last time out. Admittedly, that decision victory only snapped a two-fight losing streak for Rodriguez, who was submitted by Brian Ortega after his defeat by Volk. However, the only fighters above the 32-year-old in the rankings are: Topuria, who has moved up to challenge for the lightweight strap; Lopes, who just lost to Volkanovski; and Max Holloway, who is booked to fight at lightweight in July (and who Volkanovski has beaten three times). Furthermore, with the UFC having booked its pay-per-view main events for June, July and August, the next free headline slot is September's UFC 320 in Mexico – Rodriguez's home country. But there are ongoing issues with the new Arena Guadalajara, meaning the event could yet be moved. UFC 320 has already suffered a setback, with a boxing super-fight between Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Terence Crawford being moved from 12 September to 13 September, the same night as the UFC show. That is despite a plan for UFC president Dana White to co-promote the boxing event with Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh. With both fight cards playing out on the same night, it seems unlikely that White will be involved in Canelo vs Crawford. It is unclear what that means for his new working relationship with Alalshikh under TKO Boxing.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Newly-Crowned UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski Suffers Medical Scare During UFC 314 Fight With Diego Lopes ‘I could not see'
In combat sports, victory often comes at a steep physical cost, with fighters absorbing devastating damage even in winning performances. Battered faces, swollen eyes, and hidden injuries frequently tell a deeper story than the judges' scorecards. Many athletes push through pain to secure a win, only to later discover the toll it takes on their long-term health. Winning may bring glory, but the scars—both visible and unseen—linger far beyond the final bell. In a post-fight revelation, former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski admitted he temporarily lost vision in one eye following his brutal battle against Diego Lopes at UFC 314. The Australian star, known for his durability and heart, was visibly damaged during the post-fight press conference as he answered questions. Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) reacts after defeating Diego Lopes (not pictured) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Navarro-Imagn Images Volkanovski, who won a hard-fought decision over Lopes, revealed in a post-fight interview with Australian outlet Main Event TV that his vision was compromised midway through the fight. Advertisement After absorbing a punch from Lopes, Volkanovski admitted, "I completely lost vision in my left eye. It was a good shot and I could not see. I was trying to get it back and it was just completely gone." Later in the fight, however, the newly crowned featherweight champion slowly regained his vision. '[My vision was] slowly coming back a little bit, and at least for most of the fight, I could at least see a little blur, which helped,' Volkanovski revealed. 'It went from nothing; I was like, 'Oh sh— this ain't good,' but then the little blur helped with the distance and stuff like that.' Despite the impairment, "The Great" pushed through, showcasing his trademark toughness. However, the damage was evident as his left eye was visibly swollen while his other eye was not blinking during the post-fight press conference. Advertisement Watch the full press conference here: According to the F.I.G.H.T. System's Damage-to-Victory Ratio or DVR, Volkanovski's ratio sits at 63.0, raising concerns about the long-term effects of his relentless fighting style. At 36 years old, however, Volkanovski was able to make history as the first fighter in the history of the UFC's lighter weight divisions (flyweight to lightweight) to win a title fight past the age of 35.
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Diego Lopes shows facial healing process following UFC 314 title loss
Diego Lopes shows facial healing process following UFC 314 title loss Diego Lopes' battle scars from his first UFC title fight are fading away, and quickly. At an incredible rate, Lopes posted on Friday on his Instagram stories the transformation and healing his face has undergone since fighting Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 314 on April 12. Lopes (27-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) left UFC 314 in Miami with lots of bruising and cuts, as well as a second promotional defeat, as he lost a unanimous decision loss to Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in a hard-fought 25 minutes in the main event of the card. Now, a week later, Lopes is almost back to default, with some minor bruising and swelling. You can check out his facial recovery in the photos below: Lopes, 30, fought for the title in what his eighth promotional appearance. It took him 26 pro fights to enter the promotion, but when he debuted on short notice vs. Movsar Evloev in May 2023, his impact was immediately felt. While he dropped a competitive outing vs. Evloev, Lopes shot up the divisional ladder with five-straight wins in the fights that followed. Victories included Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige, and former UFC title challenger Brian Ortega. Lopes trains out of Lobo Gym and Brazilian Warriors in Mexico.
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 314 medical suspensions: Diego Lopes among five fighters out indefinitely
UFC 314 medical suspensions: Diego Lopes among five fighters out indefinitely Five UFC 314 competitors have been suspended indefinitely by the Florida commission. Five fighters, including one half of the main event of UFC 314, have been suspended indefinitely due to potential injuries. In the headliner of the event at Kaseya Center in Miami, Alexander Volkanovski claimed the vacant featherweight title by defeating Diego Lopes by unanimous decision. Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) emerged with the gold and a 45-day suspension. Lopes (26-7 MMA, 5-2 UFC) took his share of damage throughout the contest and has been suspended indefinitely by the Florida Athletic Commission (FAC). Wednesday, MMA Junkie obtained a full list of suspensions from the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation. Due to a Florida statute, injury specifics were not disclosed. Check out the complete list of suspensions below. It is possible a fighter could return sooner than their levied suspension if cleared by a doctor. Nora Cornolle def. Hailey Cowan Nora Cornolle: No suspension. Hailey Cowan: No suspension. Marco Tulio def. Tresean Gore Marco Tulio: Suspended indefinitely. Tresean Gore: Suspended indefinitely. Su Mudaerji def. Mitch Raposo Su Mudaerji: Suspended 21 days. Mitch Raposo: No suspension. Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Sedriques Dumas Michal Oleksiejczuk: No suspension. Sedriques Dumas: Suspended 30 days. Julian Erosa def. Darren Elkins Julian Erosa: Suspended 21 days. Darren Elkins: Suspended 45 days. Chase Hooper def. Jim Miller Chase Hooper: Suspended indefinitely. Jim Miller: Suspended 30 days. Virna Jandiroba def. Yan Xiaonan Virna Jandiroba: Suspended indefinitely. Yan Xiaonan: Suspended 30 days. Dan Ige def. Sean Woodson Dan Ige: No suspension. Sean Woodson: Suspended 30 days. Dominick Reyes def. Nikita Krylov Dominick Reyes: No suspension. Nikita Krylov: Suspended 60 days. Jean Silva def. Bryce Mitchell Jean Silva: No suspension. Bryce Mitchell: Suspended 30 days. Yair Rodriguez def. Patricio Freire Yair Rodriguez: Suspended 30 days. Patricio Freire: No suspension. Paddy Pimblett def. Michael Chandler Paddy Pimblett: No suspension. Michael Chandler: Suspended 60 days. Alexander Volkanovski def. Diego Lopes
USA Today
13-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 314 matchmaker: Henry Cejudo, Mike Bohn debate what's next for key winners and losers
MIAMI – UFC 314 looked to be the best card of 2025 so far on paper, and it delivered that way in practice with a memorable night at Kaseya Center featuring many significant results. From Alexander Volkanovski defeating Diego Lopes in the main event to capture vacant featherweight gold, to Paddy Pimblett dominating and finishing Michael Chandler in the co-main event, to Yair Rodriguez spoiling Patricio Freire's octagon debut, Jean Silva battering and submitting Bryce Mitchell and more, there was no shortage of meaningful outcomes and storylines produced. Additionally, the are a great many potential matchups to be made on the back end of UFC 314, and in order to debate some of the best booking forward, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo joined MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn to mull some of the options for the notable winning and losing athletes. Check out the video above to see Cejudo and Bohn break it all down in the aftermath of UFC 314. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 314.
