MMA Knockout

The Real Deal! Diego Lopes Scores Stunning First-Round KO at UFC 300

Diego Lopes gets it done at UFC 300.

Mathew Riddle

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Diego Lopes scored an emphatic finish at UFC 300, dismantling Sodiq Yusuff with a series of uppercuts to secure a first round TKO.

Lopes came out aggressive, landing chopping low kicks and pushing the pace. Yusuff maintained a high guard, looking to play defensive, but Lopes nullified this by engaging the clinch. From here, the Brazilian landed a flush uppercut that dropped Yusuff. Smelling blood, Lopes pounced on his foe, securing the finish with a Mike Tyson-esque body shot to uppercut combination, paired with some ground and pound.

Lopes, the slight favorite, debuted in the UFC in a short notice bout against Movsar Evloev. The Brazilian grappler gained immediate popularity by giving the undefeated Russian a run for his money, locking in several tight submissions, including a cringeworthy kneebar.

Diego Lopes was inches away from finishing Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut
Diego Lopes was inches away from finishing Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut / Sarah Stier/Getty Images

In the leadup to UFC 300, Lopes recouped with two spectacular finishes of Gavin Tucker and Pat Sabatini. Lopes took his time on the mic to call out Evloev for a rematch, if not a title fight with Ilia Topuria. Regardless of whether Lopes secures one of his callouts, he'll certainly have a featherweight ranking this time next week.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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