WATCH: Dana White walks up to debutant Diego Lopes and promises handsome amount after taking 5-days notice fight
Like usual Brazilian fighters, Diego Lopes constantly put pressure on by striking first, then being on the ground.
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(Image via MMA JUNKIE)
Diego Lopes made his UFC debut at UFC 288, where he showed his skills by accepting a fight against No. 10 ranked featherweight fighter Movsar Evloev. Initially, Evloev was supposed to face Bryce Mitchell, but due to injuries, he had to withdraw from the fight. Lopes, who had never lost in his career, stepped in as a replacement fighter to face the formidable opponent.
As Diego Lopes entered the arena, he was enjoying his moment, as it was his debut match at the Prudential Center. Lopes gave a glimpse of his toughness and his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills. Evloev tried enough to finish the fight early, but the Brazilian was not ready to give up. Even the 5-day short notice didn’t harm the adversity Diego was waiting to bring into the cage.
Lopes has a 27-6 record, including the loss against Evloev, but for Dana White, the 6th loss was not that hurtful. Dana White appreciated the heart of Diego. Like usual Brazilian fighters, Diego Lopes constantly put pressure on by striking first, then being on the ground. The debutant kept striking even on the back-facing ground and had his moments against the undefeated Russian fighter.
Despite facing an opponent who had never lost in his career, Lopes showcased his talent and came out strong with a series of submissions, including a Kimura, armbar, leglock, and triangle choke. His impressive performance caught the attention of UFC President Dana White, who had a serious talk with Lopes about his promising future in the UFC.
Dana White impressed with Diego Lopes’ short-notice fight performance
As Evloev was giving his post-fight interview, on the backside of the cage, the UFC president and debutant were having a serious discussion. Dana appreciated Lopes’ performance at UFC 288 and was impressed by Brazilian’s performance; he said “You lost nothing tonight.”
The UFC president also promised to grant an undisclosed amount of money to the debutant. Everyone in the arena was impressed with Lopes as he delivered an action-packed performance. Evloev himself appreciated the debutant for his injury-threatening submissions. Lopes’ solid jiu-jitsu credentials were enough to challenge the winner. Punches and leg kicks also worked well to slow down Movsar’s movement.
Diego Lopes has now joined the UFC featherweight division, and fans can expect to see him fight in the UFC octagon in the future. It’s clear that White was impressed by Lopes’ performance in his debut and has officially welcomed him to the UFC.
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Nikhil Sonmali
(1112 Articles Published)