Diego Lopes will challenge Charles Oliveira for the BMF belt on Dec. 12, headlining UFC’s final numbered card of the year in Las Vegas, and promises to do his part to deliver the level of excitement fans expect from a baddest motherf*cker showdown.
Oliveira claimed the belt with a dominant performance against Max Holloway in March, but opting to follow a grappling route was reason for criticism for several fighters and fans, and even UFC CEO Dana White. Lopes has won seven bonuses in 10 UFC appearances, and said there’s a chance Oliveira — the man with most bonuses in UFC history — comes in overaggressive to compensate for his last outing.
“I hope so,” Lopes said with a laugh during an interview with MMA Fighting. “I hope he does come in with that mindset, because that’s exactly what I want. I want to get in there and throw down. Let’s see who goes down first [laughs]. That’s exactly what I’m looking for.”
Lopes, however, said “I don’t think there’s that much pressure on my end” to do something different from his previous fights from an excitement point of view.
“I don’t think people will ever have any doubts about that when it comes to me, you know?” Lopes said. “Regardless of how my previous fights have gone, even in fights I’ve lost, I’ve always looked to engage and tried to turn the fight into a real war. And for that to happen, you need two people. If the guy on the other side is willing to do the same, you can be sure it’s going to be a war.”
The Brazilian talent said the first offer to fight at 155 pounds came after knocking out Steve Garcia at UFC White House, and the plan was to headline UFC Paris versus Dan Hooker. When Salahdine Parnasse ultimately signed with the promotion to face Hooker, UFC contemplated booking Lopes vs. Benoit Saint Denis for UFC 344 at Madison Square Garden. In the end, shortly after Mauricio Ruffy stepped in to fight Arman Tsarukyan in September, the UFC called to book Lopes versus Oliveira for the BMF title.
Having fought the likes of Alexander Volkanovski, Movsar Evloev, Jean Silva and Brian Ortega in the octagon, Lopes said Oliveira “definitely” is the toughest match-up of his MMA career to date.
“I definitely think so because he’s a guy who can knock you out and submit you, too,” Lopes said. “He’s dangerous. And let’s also point out that he’s dangerous both on the bottom and on top when the fight goes to the ground, which makes him a very dangerous opponent. He’s definitely a guy who poses a threat to me in every area, so I’m training specifically to avoid making any mistakes and come away with the win.”
“I have no problem being on my back on the ground,” he continued. “I’m not the kind of guy who’s just going to focus on surviving until the round ends so we can get back to our feet and try our luck in the next round. That’s not who I am. I’m really focused on improving in every area possible so I can go out there and put on a good performance.”
Beating “do Bronx” in emphatic fashion could help Lopes be on the cusp of a title shot with only one appearance at lightweight. Current titleholder Justin Gaethje will not defend his belt in 2026, and there’s a chance he retires without defending it.
“I don’t know if I could fight for the title,” Lopes said. “Actually, even if I win in dominant fashion, I don’t know if I’d get a title shot, but I think it would be a very appealing matchup. Let’s take Justin Gaethje, for example. They always seem to look for fights that work well for him in the sense that he doesn’t have to worry about jiu-jitsu, or about getting taken down, or as much about all the things he’d have to consider if he fought Charles, because he already knows Charles has great jiu-jitsu, can take him to the ground, and can submit him, as he’s already done. Or Arman, where he’d have to worry a lot about Arman’s wrestling. Or Topuria, who has very sharp boxing. I think that stylistically, a fight between him and me could be a convenient matchup for him. I don’t know if I’d get a title shot, but if I win this fight, I’d like to defend the BMF title — and if it’s against Justin Gaethje, even better.”
Lopes has worked on bulking up for the new division ever since he beat Garcia in June, and currently walks around 180 pounds — 15 more than what he would normally weight two months before having to cut to 145 pounds.
That said, Lopes doesn’t rule out a future return to featherweight.
“The most important thing for me is to keep putting together a winning streak, whether that’s at lightweight or featherweight,” Lopes said. “Moving up to lightweight, losing fights, and then wanting to go back to featherweight would be pointless, because I’d have to start all over again. If I return to featherweight, I definitely want a big fight. The way to get a big fight is to win the fights I’m about to have at lightweight. It’s something I’ll consider in the future, but right now, at this point, I think returning to featherweight would require a little more time to get my body adjusted to that weight class again.”