
Diego Lopes has recently addressed his unsuccessful attempt to enter UFC’s featherweight ranking despite taking down a ranked fighter in the division. Despite this unfavorable situation, the fighter keeps a positive attitude, saying he’ll continue showing the panel that he deserves a spot on their list.
Lopes made an impressive performance at UFC 295 by beating Pat Sabatini in Round 1 of their fight with a KO. The end of his opponent came as soon as the first 90 seconds of their fight, making it a monumental win for him. However, while he received a $50,000 bonus from UFC, it seems the victory didn’t make the cut to put him in the ranking.
In his latest interview with MMA Junkie, Lopes shared his earlier expectations.
“Imagine this, your first fight is against a No. 10 in the world, and you give him the fight of his life,” Lopes told the outlet in Spanish. “Your second fight, you fight (and submit) someone who was coming off a fight against No. 9 in the rankings. Then your next fight against Sabatini, you knock out someone who’s got a winning record in the UFC of 5-1.”
Lopes is not the first to discuss the ranking of UFC these past days. No. 10-ranked UFC middleweight fighter Brendan Allen lambasted UFC over the move of Khamzat Chimaev to the No.8 position on the list in their division. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland is also echoing the same sentiment, saying upcoming opponent Dricus Du Plessis is the one who deserves the title shot instead of the Russian.
Lopes, nonetheless, takes things positively, promising to continuously work to show the panel responsible for the ranking that he deserves the spot. According to Lopes, he only needs an opportunity, or specifically, some bouts against ranked fighters, including Alex Caceres, Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige, Edson Barboza, and Bryce Mitchell. From there, Lopes plans to make a more prominent mark to be noticed.
“What I need to do now is make it very clear I need a spot in the rankings,” said the fighter. “I need an opportunity. And even if that doesn’t come, I’ll keep working. That’s all I can do. I’m very motivated, and I’m very happy with everything that’s happening in my career. I will continue to win every fight the UFC puts in front of me until I get myself in the rankings. If you ask me, I think I’ve shown enough to deserve a spot in there. I’ve shown enough, but if they don’t see it that way, then I have to keep showing them.”