Diego Lopes has decided to move up to 155 pounds, saying clear opponents at featherweight have run thin. He pointed to his two losses to Alexander Volkanovski and his most recent win at 145 pounds, saying there are not many options left at the weight right now.
Diego Lopes is leaving featherweight behind. The Brazilian says he will move up to 155 pounds, explaining that clear opponents at 145 have run thin.
Lopes pointed to his two losses to Alexander Volkanovski and his most recent victory at featherweight as the reasons for the change. In his view, there are not many options left for him at the weight right now, and lightweight offers a fresh set of challenges.
Lopes enters the move as the number two ranked featherweight, with a record of 28-8-0. The 31-year-old from Brazil trains out of Lobo Gym MMA and fights from an orthodox stance. He stands five-foot-eleven (180 cm) with a 72-inch (183 cm) reach, dimensions that fit comfortably at 155 pounds.
His numbers show a fighter who stays active on the feet and hunts finishes. Lopes lands 3.83 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy. On the ground, he averages 1.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while his takedown rate of 0.88 per 15 minutes shows he uses wrestling sparingly and prefers to dictate where the fight happens.
Why it matters
- Lopes is a top-two featherweight, so his exit changes the shape of the contender picture at 145 pounds.
- Lightweight is a deep division, and he will have to establish himself against a new group of opponents.
- His submission threat and steady striking output give him tools that translate well to a heavier weight class.
No opponent or date for his lightweight debut has been mentioned.
