UFC has approved Diego Lopes's move from featherweight to the 155-pound division. Lopes had sought the change before his previous fight but was kept at 145 pounds, and he is now targeting bouts against top-five or top-six ranked lightweights. Lopes also served as the official backup fighter at the UFC White House event, making weight twice and collecting backup pay after stepping up when Arman Tsarukyan was unable to weigh in due to his clash with RAF. He gained 3.5 kg in one hour solely through hydration to hit the lightweight limit, a process managed by the same nutritionist he has worked with for seven to eight years.
The UFC has officially cleared Diego Lopes to compete at lightweight, ending a move the Brazilian had been seeking for some time. Lopes had requested the divisional change ahead of his previous fight but was held at featherweight by the promotion, making this approval a significant shift in his career trajectory.
Lopes, 31, carries a 28-8 record and currently holds the number seven ranking at featherweight. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, he has long appeared physically suited to lightweight. His striking output of 3.83 significant strikes landed per minute and an active submission game — averaging 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes — make him a well-rounded threat in any division. He has been a member of Lobo Gym MMA throughout his career and works with a nutritionist he has trusted for seven to eight years, a partnership that proved critical at the UFC White House event.
At that event, Lopes served as the official backup fighter, making weight twice and earning backup pay. When number-one-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan was unable to weigh in following a physical altercation with RAF, Lopes stepped in and demonstrated his body's capacity to operate at 155 pounds. He gained 3.5 kilograms within a single hour purely through hydration to reach the lightweight limit, underlining how naturally the weight class fits him.
Tsarukyan, the 29-year-old Russian representing American Top Team, sits atop the lightweight rankings with a 23-3 record. He averages 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute at 50 percent accuracy, and his 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes mark him as one of the division's most dangerous all-around competitors.
Why it matters
- Lopes is now targeting top-five or top-six ranked lightweights, putting him in immediate contention conversations.
- His physical frame and volume striking translate directly to the 155-pound division.
- A well-established weight management system gives him a logistical foundation most division-hoppers lack.
