NEW YORK—Diego Lopes wants a big fight next and it doesn’t have to be Yair Rodriguez.
At Fanatics Fest on Saturday, Lopes spoke to MMA Fighting about a number of topics, including his plans to headline UFC San Antonio on Sept. 13. Lopes hoped to book a main event fight against Mexican rival Yair Rodriguez, but with Rodriguez apparently having on interest, Lopes is moving on and he doesn’t think Rodriguez should just waltz into a featherweight title shot.
“I don’t know, after this guy refuse the fight with me, I don’t know if UFC sends the title fight for him,” Lopes said. “I think Movsar [Evloev] is next. Movsar wins the fight with Aaron Pico, I think 100 percent UFC puts fighting in the card in Abu Dhabi in October. Maybe it’s this fight because the other day the UFC announced Australia is a Fight Night. I think in Abu Dhabi the fight may be Jack Della Maddalena facing Islam [Makhachev], I think Movsar takes the big win facing Aaron Pico, maybe he fights [Alexander Volkanovski].”
Lopes and Rodriguez have engaged in a public war of words, though Lopes found Rodriguez’s recent video response to him unconvincing.
“I think this guy is so nervous in the video,” Lopes said. “This guy is talking a lot of words, but have no sense or context in your words.”
Whoever the UFC has in store for Lopes, he’s open to it, especially if it’s another top contender. Lopes recently lost a vacant title fight to Alexander Volkanovski and he wants to prove he’s worthy for another shot at gold sooner rather than later.
“Now, for me, it’s [any] fight the UFC sends me, I’m OK,” Lopes said. “I want to fight Yair, but Yair say nothing, I don’t know. Maybe Jean Silva, Arnold Allen, everyone that’s in the ranking, I’m waiting for the fight.
“Now in my position, I lost my title fight, I think I need only one big fight for me [to fight for] the title again.”
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