UFC had BSD fight lined up for Diego Lopes if Oliveira declined BMF bout

Diego Lopes is reportedly set to challenge Charles Oliveira for the BMF title in December, and the UFC is said to have had a backup plan ready in case the Brazilian turned the fight down. The details, which are not officially confirmed, come from Lopes, who says the promotion first raised the matchup with him in July.

According to Lopes, the UFC's contingency was a fight with Benoit Saint-Denis in New York had Oliveira declined. Dan Hooker was also reportedly offered as an option for a Paris main event, before the promotion signed Salahdine Parnasse to headline that card against Hooker.

Oliveira, 37-11, is the third-ranked lightweight and sits eleventh in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 36-year-old Brazilian, who trains at Chute Boxe Diego Lima, remains one of the division's most dangerous finishers. He averages 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes and 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, while landing 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy.

Saint-Denis, the would-be fallback opponent, is ranked sixth at lightweight with a 17-4 record. The 30-year-old southpaw is a high-volume striker, landing 5.58 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. He also averages 4.15 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that shows how much he leans on his grappling.

Hooker, 24-15, is ranked 13th at lightweight. The 36-year-old New Zealander, who trains at City Kickboxing, lands 4.82 significant strikes per minute and fights out of a switch stance. He is now reportedly slated to face Parnasse in Paris.

Why it matters

• A BMF title bout would put a top-three lightweight in a high-profile December main event.
• The reported Saint-Denis contingency shows how quickly the UFC was prepared to pivot to another ranked lightweight in New York.
• Hooker and Parnasse headlining in Paris means the French card's main event has been settled.