Diego Lopes Record: 28-8-0

UFC breakout

Lopes finally reached the UFC in May 2023, dropping a competitive unanimous decision to undefeated Movsar Evloev in his debut on short notice. He turned that into a launching pad. A first-round triangle armbar of Gavin Tucker in August 2023 was followed by a stunning first-round knockout of Pat Sabatini at UFC 295, and Lopes' star kept rising through 2024 with a first-round TKO of Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300, a decision over Dan Ige at UFC 303, and a marquee unanimous-decision win over former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC 306.

Title contention

That run earned Lopes a shot at the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314 in April 2025, where he challenged former champion Alexander Volkanovski in his first headlining championship bout and lost a five-round unanimous decision. He rebounded emphatically in September 2025, finishing Jean Silva with a second-round spinning back elbow and punches. A rematch with Volkanovski for the title followed at UFC 325 in January 2026, with Lopes again falling by unanimous decision over five rounds. He returned to form in June 2026 with a second-round knockout of Steve Garcia, reasserting himself as one of the division's most dangerous finishers.

Fighting style

Lopes is a rare two-way finisher, equally comfortable ending fights with his hands or his grappling. Of his 28 wins, 12 have come by knockout and 12 by submission – an 86 percent finish rate that ranks among the most explosive in the featherweight division. His jiu-jitsu pedigree shows in armbars, triangles and kneebars off his back, while his power and improvisational striking, capped by the spinning-elbow finish of Silva, make him a constant threat on the feet. His losses have largely come against elite technicians who can drag him into the championship rounds, as both Volkanovski decisions showed, but few fighters force action and chase finishes as relentlessly as Lopes.

Career highlights

• Featherweight title challenger — headlined two championship fights against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314 and UFC 325.
• 86 percent finish rate — 12 knockouts and 12 submissions among 28 wins, one of the division's most lethal stat lines.
• Signature UFC run — back-to-back finishes of Pat Sabatini and Sodiq Yusuff headlined a charge to contention.