Noche UFC: Top Featherweight Diego Lopes Teases Fight at Massive Sphere Event

Lopes has been campaigning for a spot on the card since his last win at UFC 303.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It looks as if fan favorite Diego Lopes is close to getting his wish for a fight on “Riyadh Season Noche UFC” at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Rumor Killer on UFC 306 PPV, Massive Fight Planned for the Sphere in Las Vegas

Lopes Teases Fight At Sphere

Originally branded as UFC 306, the UFC’s plans for a massive Sphere event took an unexpected turn when the promotion announced that the second iteration of its Mexican Independence Day-celebrating Noche UFC would be officially sponsored by Riyadh Season.

Lopes has been vocal about wanting to be on the Sphere card since fighting in the co-main event of UFC 303 last month, and recently the 29-year-old took to social media to apparently tease an impending fight announcement for September 14.

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A post shared by Diego Lopes (@diegolopesmma)

UFC 303 was famously meant to feature a featherweight co-main event between Lopes and Brian Ortega before “T-City” requested the fight be changed to lightweight, and after Ortega was forced to withdraw mid-card due to health issues Lopes ended up facing Dan Ige and took a unanimous decision for his fourth-straight win.

Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Dan Ige (red gloves) fights Diego Lopes (blue gloves) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Ranked as the UFC’s #12 featherweight contender, any potential matchup for Lopes at Noche UFC would presumably give the 29-year-old a chance to break into the division’s Top 10 and move closer towards a UFC title shot.

“Riyadh Season Noche UFC” already features seven confirmed fights out of the ten that UFC CEO Dana White claims the event will have, so if Lopes is in fact gearing up for a fight on September 14 that would only leave two more slots for a card that still doesn’t have an official main event.

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