Diego Lopes Calls Out Movsar Evloev for Rematch at UFC 300
Diego Lopes has his sights set on a rematch with Movsar Evloev at UFC 300. The Brazilian featherweight made a statement with his first-round finish of Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300, and now he wants to prove himself against Evloev once again.
Lopes’ win over Yusuff was a career-defining moment, as he became the first man to finish the highly-touted prospect in the UFC. In an interview with Kosport Magazine, Lopes revealed that this was all part of his plan.
“We knew we could touch Sodiq, but not many people have finished him,” Lopes said. “That was the goal, and obviously the results went the way they did, and that’s a testament to our hard work.”
The win also earned Lopes a spot in the UFC featherweight rankings, debuting at No. 14. But for Lopes, this is just the beginning. He immediately called out Evloev, who is currently ranked No. 5, and laid out his plan for becoming the best in the world.
“I jumped over the cage and talked to Dana [White],” Lopes said. “I said, ‘Dana, I’m going to be champion one day. Give me my rematch with Movsar Evloev on International Fight Week. After this, I’ll beat Movsar Evloev and go to Spain.'”
Lopes and Evloev first met at UFC 288, with Evloev coming out on top via decision in a Fight of the Night performance. But Lopes believes he has what it takes to defeat Evloev in a rematch, especially with his recent string of impressive first-round finishes.
“I talked to [my manager] this morning and put out there that I would love the rematch,” Lopes said. “That’s the fight that I want. I also put out there that I’m ready to fight. I want that fight. That’s the fight to make.”
With Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski seemingly ahead of Evloev in the title shot line, Lopes sees this as the perfect opportunity to put himself in the title conversation as well.
“That’s definitely the fight that we want,” Lopes said. “He’s right there, No. 5, so beating him puts me right there in title contention and that’s what we want.”
Don’t miss the potential rematch between Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev at UFC 300. It’s sure to be an exciting and pivotal matchup in the featherweight division.
