White: Diego Lopes could be backup for Topuria-Holloway featherweight title fight at UFC 308

LAS VEGAS – It appears like Diego Lopes’s busy UFC schedule will proceed to remain busy.

Following a dominant determination win over former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC 306, Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) would possibly get the chance to function a backup for the upcoming featherweight title combat between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway – which is about to go down on Oct. 26 at UFC 308. UFC CEO Dana White mentioned he’d be greater than prepared to offer Lopes the chance ought to he need it.

“We’d do something for that man, regardless that he was screaming at me,” White mentioned on the UFC 306 post-fight press convention. “I actually like him, so yeah, he could possibly be.”

Lopes jumped open the cage and started to speak to White quickly after the ultimate bell of his combat in opposition to Ortega at Saturday’s Noche UFC. This caught White off guard given their previous, post-fight interactions.

“Normally he’s very nice, however tonight he was screaming at me: ‘Give me my title shot. I get the title shot now,’” White mentioned. “He was very offended tonight. He wasn’t the standard happy-go-lucky Diego Lopes. He was f*cking screaming at me. He was all fired up tonight.”

So far as the efficiency, White was impressed with what he noticed from Lopes, particularly the best way he selected to combat an always-dangeorous Ortega (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC).

“What was fascinating to me is that he drops him proper out the gate, after which he jumps on him as a substitute of letting him up and making an attempt to complete him,” White mentioned. “It’s nearly like he needed to submit him or one thing. I don’t know if that was the case. I feel he made the combat quite a bit more durable than it needed to be of him. I feel lots of people have been sleeping on him due to the (Dan) Ige combat, and he undoubtedly put that behind him.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 306.