Diego Lopes has a knack for special moments.
From UFC 300 to Noche UFC at the Sphere to UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, it’s been a wild ride for a man who didn’t reach the UFC until his 27th pro fight. But now it’s time to create such memories, and perhaps greater ones, in a new landscape.
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Even though he’s coming off a big win, Lopes (28-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is eying a move to lightweight – and says the promotion likes the idea, too.
“I want to move for 155 to make a couple of fights,” Lopes told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I really like the idea more because I’m so honest. I just lost two times to Volkanovski. He’s still here in the division. I don’t think I have a shot for the title soon. So I don’t care if I fight with a guy low in the rankings. I fight this two times, when I lost, for the belt. But I really like the idea for moving to 155. This week, I talked with the UFC about this. The UFC liked the idea, too. I just need to figure out what the best option is. I think in the top-five, all fights are a good one for me.”
The decision to move up has been considered for a bit. Lopes says the decision is multi-fold. He’s a bigger featherweight, so not having to cut the calories or the weight is attractive to him. There also might be a more realistic route to the title, considering he’s lost twice to current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. But also, the matchups at lightweight? Those could be a hell of a lot of fun for the fans, says Lopes.
“I think the most exciting guys,” Lopes said. “If you see the top-five to the champion, the whole guys are exciting. I think they’re the perfect matches for my style. I think everyone is so, so exciting. It makes me more hungry to move to 155 and make a great fight, because always when the people see I have one fight, the people expect a great, great fight. I think at 155 I have the guys with styles that make for a great show for everyone.”
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“… I think I have the (body) type for 155. I’m tall. I’m 5-foot-11. I have a lot (of room) to put more weight on my body, too. I fight in 145. I need to cut out a lot of things. I can’t lift a lot of weights. I can’t drink a lot of supplements. I need to control a lot in my diet, to not gain weight. At 155, I can change a couple of things and work it different, too. I’m the same size for all the guys in the top-five. All the guys have the same size, like me. Maybe these guys are a little bit heavier but I don’t care about that.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Diego Lopes considers shifting weight classes with UFC’s blessing
