Diego Lopez sits atop the cage wearing a cowboy hat to celebrate his victory at the White House event in June. [Getty Images]
Diego Lopez sits atop the cage wearing a cowboy hat to celebrate his victory at the White House event in June. [Getty Images]

Diego Lopez, one of the UFC's most popular brawlers, has announced he will move up to lightweight following his recent victory at UFC Freedom 250.

Lopez, a former UFC featherweight title contender, found himself in an awkward position in the division after losing twice to then-champion Alexander Volkanovski. He built a case for another shot with an impressive comeback KO win over Steve Garcia at the White House event, but climbing back to title contention would require several more victories.

Having already challenged Volkanovski twice without success, Lopez had no clear path forward at featherweight despite wins over Brian Ortega and Jean Silva. That dead end prompted him to consistently hint at a move to lightweight over the past several months.

In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet Ag Fight, Lopez said he is ready for a new challenge in his career. "I'm going up a weight class, and negotiations are well advanced," he said, adding that he hopes to fight at Madison Square Garden in November.

One potential opponent at lightweight is BMF champion Charles Oliveira. Oliveira had been linked to a bout against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331 before negotiations fell through, and his return to the octagon remains uncertain following the tragic death of his teammate Allan Nascimento.

Lopez carries a large frame for his weight class and has never competed at lightweight since joining the UFC, though he did fight at a 75-kilogram catchweight against Dan Ige at UFC 303. Earlier in his career, he competed as low as bantamweight.

Lopez has one immediate goal: securing a title shot as quickly as possible. The lightweight division features champion Justin Gaethje, Ilia Topuria — who dropped to No. 1 after his upset loss to Gaethje — and Tsarukyan, who is pressing his claim as the next contender. Lopez's arrival makes an already compelling lightweight landscape even more intriguing.


yjc@heraldcorp.com