Diego Lopes reveals the fight he wants next in featherweight division

UFC featherweight Diego Lopes has spoken candidly about who he wants to compete against next in the division.

Over the course of the last twelve months, Diego Lopes has emerged as a legitimate contender at featherweight. Following his win over Brian Ortega, many now believe he is on the verge of a title opportunity. It’s happened quickly, but nonetheless, it seems like he’s ready to step up.

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Alas, with Ilia Topuria’s future in the division being uncertain, it’s not clear as to what’s next in the title picture. For Lopes, though, all he can really hope to do is stay active and stay in the conversation.

In a recent interview, Lopes gave his thoughts on what he believes should be next.

Lopes’ desire for next UFC fight

“The fight with Yair never happened,” Lopes told Submission Radio. “UFC talked to me, ‘OK now you sit down, you stay here, relax. Maybe we do a big fight for you.’ I’m training, I’m staying ready for for one big fight. I need one big fight now. I’m No. 3 in the rankings. I think Max (Holloway) is out of the rankings, but moved to lightweight. I don’t know what’s happening in the division now.”

“If (Topuria) moves, I think I’m next for the title to face Volk,” Lopes said. “I think they vacate the belt, no? I don’t know if Ilia would be ready for 145, maybe October, September? I don’t know. Ilia, I think he’ll move to lightweight.”

“I think this makes sense, right? Because I’m No. 3, Alex is No. 1,” Lopes said. “Ilia has moved for lightweight. Who’s the next fight for the title? I don’t have one fight for the title. I think me, Alex is make sense for the fight. April for me is really good timing.”

“This is a great fight, I need it so much,” Lopes said. “Alex has a lot of experience in UFC. This guy, I think his last 10 fights were five rounds. The guy has a lot of experience, but it’s a good fight for me. I proved myself. I’m ready for the champ.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie