"Lopes is in been there, done that territory here. His own impressive rise up the 145lb division took him to a title fight with Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year. Now, he looks to bounce back from a loss there, an adopted Mexican of sorts originally from Brazil, headlining a card celebrating Mexican independence and the nation's fighting spirit. While Diego Lopes might relate to Jean Silva on one front, he doesn't fully understand his latest opponent."
""I don't know. This guy is a little bit strange. At the same time, he talks sh*t on the internet, but outside tries like he'll be nice. I don't understand this." When it comes to going five rounds with Silva (who has never gone past three), Lopes predicted an early night instead. "I'm finishing this fight. This is not going the distance.""
Diego Lopes downplays the Noche UFC main event, calling the fight "one more day at the office" after recently fighting for the featherweight title. Jean Silva views the occasion differently and considers himself one of the faces of the UFC. Lopes said he understands Silva's feelings but emphasized his own experience headlining and facing top opponents. Lopes described Silva as inconsistent between online trash talk and in-person behavior, predicted an early finish rather than a five-round war, and credited the Volkanovski fight with greatly increasing his confidence and adjustments.
Read at Cageside Press
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