Diego Lopes was introduced by UFC play-by-play man Brendan Fitzgerald as “fresh off one of the best fights of the year” during Friday’s UFC Vancouver Q&A, where the featherweight was one of three guests on hand to answer questions from fight fans.
Despite the card coming from Canada, where Marc-Andre Barriault of Quebec and Mexican-Canadian Loopy Godinez should in theory have been the home favorites, it was Lopes (27-7) who did the heavy lifting from the start. Popular as ever, fresh off a big win over Jean Silva.
Question number one: where do you get your hair cut? Serious. It’s a question and answer day, not a media day. The question to end all questions came a moment later, when Lopes was asked who would win in a ‘tickle fight’ and why: himself, or Max Holloway?
“That’s a weird question, man,” Fitzgerald interjected, saying out loud what everyone present was thinking.
A few more serious questions were thrown at Diego Lopes on Friday, including whether he would be open to a rematch with Movsar Evloev. The pair first met a few years ago when Lopes joined the UFC on short notice; the Brazilian lost a decision, but ultimately jumped over Evloev and got the first title shot.
“Yes. Now I think the division is a bit mixed. After my win, I put my name forward for the title again. I don’t know what’s happening in the division now, but people know me. I fight for everyone, anytime, anywhere.”
Lopes also mentioned Yair Rodriguez as a possible opponent at the end of that answer. Yair’s name was brought up again and again by fans in Vancouver on Friday.
When asked if the fight with Yair made sense since Rodriguez had only one win in recent years, Lopes responded by saying, “I don’t know if this fight makes sense, but this guy never fights. Just like your last fight was the same day I fought Volk, but then he disappeared. Fallen off the map.”
Later, Lopes was asked if he felt Rodriguez had avoided him.
“This fight should have taken place in Mexican City,” said Lopes, who trains in Mexico. UFC Mexico City took place at the end of March. “I accepted the fight, but this guy never responded to the UFC. After this, they sent me the title fight, and this guy started talking.”
Lopes ultimately lost to Alexander Volkanovski due to Ilia Topuria’s title loss, but after bouncing back against Silva, he is back in the mix. And if it’s Rodriguez he’s facing, Lopes has a prediction: he’ll subdue his rival with an arm triangle.
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