6. Diego Lopes vs Brian Ortega (UFC 303)
In the late replacement co-main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas this weekend is an electric matchup at featherweight between two of the most skillful fight-finishers in the division: longtime veteran contender Brian Ortega and dynamic up-and-coming finisher Diego Lopes. Neither fighter was scheduled to be on the card just three weeks ago, but with injuries dismantling the event they were called upon to bring the action. Ortega comes into this fight off his submission win over Yair Rodriguez in Mexico City earlier this year, while Lopes is returning to the cage after his quick and massively impressive win versus Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300.
This is a make-or-break fight for Ortega, as Lopes is on one of the hottest streaks in the UFC, and Ortega has struggled with injuries and pullouts over the last couple of years, all while sitting on a top five ranking. While the stakes may not be as high for Lopes because he has more time to find his way to a belt, this is a massive opportunity to set himself up for a potential title eliminator fight if he gets the victory on Saturday night. Not only does this fight carry massive implications for the division, but the action we see in the cage is guaranteed to be thrilling and high-level.
Ortega has earned himself the reputation as one of the best pure jiu-jitsu practitioners in the division. Always dangerous off his back, he is primarily known for his guillotines and triangle chokes. On the feet, Ortega prefers to rely on his boxing with the occasional high kick mixed in. The big deficiencies in his game come in his wrestling, cagecraft, and clinch game. He is far too willing to let his opponent walk him onto the fence, and despite having high level skills on both the feet and the ground, he has no reliable way to connect the two. There are many fighters who struggle with this (i.e., Mackenzie Dern, Paul Craig, etc) and it makes it difficult to form a good mixed martial arts gameplan with this gap in skill. Despite these less palatable traits in his game, Ortega is one of the toughest fighters in the UFC and has proven this repeatedly versus the best in the world.
On the other side of this matchup exists the number 14 ranked Diego Lopes. Riding a three-fight win/finish streak, Lopes has perhaps the most momentum of any fighter in the UFC and is looking to carry that into this fight. What stands out the most about Lopes is his dynamism and transitional game. He is quick and explosive, letting him force his opponents into chaotic exchanges which is where he thrives. Whether in the clinch, scrambling, or on the ground, Lopes is a threat to finish the fight anywhere at any time. His jiu-jitsu is truly elite, shown by him breaking Gavin Tucker’s arm with a flying triangle-armbar from guard and almost tapping out Movsar Evloev in his UFC debut. On the feet, Lopes will attack with long calf kicks, explosive uppercuts, and straights, but the clinch and the sprawl are where he finds the most success. From the double collar tie, he will throw uppercuts, hooks, knees, and will snap down on the head to force his opponents to either shoot a takedown or deal with his ground up striking. Also, as a coach at Brazilian Warriors and Lobo Gym, Lopes is always studying the sport and learning. A truly special fighter, Lopes is appointment television every time he fights.
Every Diego Lopes finish in the UFC 🐐
Soon Brian Ortega will be included in this compilation 👑 pic.twitter.com/rKmCjgXJPk
— Homelander MMA (@HomelanderMMA) June 16, 2024
The clinch is the main area where Lopes can truly separate himself in this fight. His dynamism gives him a massive advantage, as apart from that factor these two fighters share similar skill sets in terms of striking and grappling. Despite Ortega’s pedigree and experience, Diego has almost double the professional fights that Brian has, so the experience advantage does not mean as much as it would against other rising contenders. If you were to tune in to one fight this week while looking for violence, this writer recommends this fight above all others.
