Diego Lopes is set to fight Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant UFC featherweight title after Ilia Topuria relinquished it to pursue the lightweight championship. Lopes believes there are two possible directions for the featherweight division if he wins their fight on April 12 in Miami.
Lopes, who will headline UFC 314, has only one defeat in the UFC – a debut loss to Movsar Evloev. Evloev has since extended his undefeated record to 19-0 with wins over Arnold Allen and Aljamain Sterling. Although Lopes has repeatedly requested a rematch with Evloev, he has now moved ahead in the title picture after securing five consecutive UFC wins.
Despite past tensions, Lopes acknowledged Evloev as a strong contender for the title in the future.
“We need to be realistic about what Evloev has achieved,” Lopes stated to MMA Fighting. “He has nine consecutive wins in the division. Even though they are all decisions, he is undefeated in the featherweight division and is currently ranked No. 4. Also, he beat me. If I become champion, I believe the UFC will likely give him the next title shot.”
Patricio Pitbull, a highly decorated featherweight from Bellator who recently joined the UFC after leaving PFL, is another potential contender. Pitbull is scheduled to fight Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314. A dominant victory could position him for a title shot, potentially jumping ahead of Evloev.
“It depends on the manner of Pitbull’s victory,” Lopes commented. “If he wins impressively and the UFC sees it as a commercially viable fight, I’m sure they will consider him as a top contender.”
For Lopes, both potential matchups offer significant historical value. He could either avenge his only UFC defeat against Evloev or defeat Pitbull, who was a dominant champion in Bellator for many years.
“Both fights would be great for my legacy,” Lopes added. “Beating a highly decorated fighter from outside the UFC or defeating an undefeated Russian fighter [laughs].”
Lopes was bothered by Aljamain Sterling’s reaction to the UFC 314 announcement. Sterling, who recently lost to Evloev, publicly stated on social media that Evloev was “more deserving” of the title shot.
Lopes clearly disagreed with Sterling’s opinion.
“It’s disappointing,” Lopes said. “If it were just fans, it would be understandable, but for a former champion to criticize and say I don’t deserve the title shot and that Evloev should have gotten it, it’s nonsensical. He knows the hard work it takes to get a title opportunity.”
“I just laughed at his comments. When he asked what was funny, the joke is that I’m fighting for the title while he and Evloev aren’t actively competing. It’s unprofessional for someone who understands the sacrifices athletes make to criticize like that, even more so than a regular fan.”
