Diego Lopes to challenge Charles Oliveira for BMF belt at UFC 335

Diego Lopes will get his shot at the BMF title, with UFC set to put him opposite champion Charles Oliveira on December 12 at UFC 335. The bout headlines the promotion's final numbered card of the year in Las Vegas.

Oliveira captured the BMF belt in March with a dominant performance against Max Holloway. Now the 36-year-old Brazilian will defend it against a countryman. Oliveira, known as "Do Bronxs," carries a 37-11-0 record and sits third in the lightweight rankings. He is also ranked 11th in the pound-for-pound list. A Chute Boxe Diego Lima product, he combines pressure striking with a submission game that produces 2.6 attempts per 15 minutes. He lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and averages 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Lopes, 31, arrives as the number two featherweight in the division. The Lobo Gym MMA fighter is 28-8-0 and fights out of an orthodox stance, standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach. He is the more prolific striker on paper, landing 3.83 significant strikes per minute, though at a lower 47 percent accuracy. His submission pace of 1.4 attempts per 15 minutes shows he is dangerous on the mat, even if he takes the fight down less often than Oliveira, at 0.88 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Lopes has already said what he wants from the fight. He hopes Oliveira arrives looking for a war, adding: "Let's see who goes down first."

Why it matters

• The BMF title is on the line, with Oliveira making his first defense of the belt he won in March.
• Lopes, a ranked featherweight, challenges a lightweight champion, putting a weight-class dimension on the matchup.
• Both fighters are Brazilian, and both have finishing tools, setting up a clash between Lopes's striking volume and Oliveira's grappling pressure.
• The bout closes out the UFC's numbered calendar for the year in Las Vegas.