The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Las Vegas, where it will host its upcoming high-voltage pay-per-view event, Noche UFC 306: O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili. The event has its cards stacked across weight classes, involving both male and female fighters. The main event of the pay-per-view event will be headlined by UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley against the No.1 contender Merab Dvalishvili, with UFC bantamweight gold up for grabs. Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes will feature in the main card of the evening in a featherweight showdown.
Brian Ortega has been around for a while now. Owing to his success in the leading professional mixed martial arts organization, the UFC, he is currently ranked No. 3 in the promotion’s featherweight division. Ortega has competed in multiple weight classes as a professional fighter, and he has also been active in multiple fight promotions after making his debut on the professional scene.
Brian Ortega made his professional mixed martial arts debut on April 25, 2010. He took off with a dominant win in his first professional fight by beating John Sassone by a first-round submission. With a remarkable record of 9 wins, 0 losses, and 1 no-contest, Brian Ortega entered the UFC octagon on June 26, 2014. He was welcomed in the promotion by Mike De La Torre, whom he defeated by a first-round submission. His win was revoked later after Ortega tested positive for banned substances. He went on to establish himself as a formidable competitor in the octagon and has fought against some of the biggest names in the company like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and The Korean Zombie.
Brian Ortega’s upcoming rival, Diego Lopes, is an up-and-coming contender in the UFC who has had a reasonable run in the company so far. The No. 12 ranked featherweight fighter made his professional mixed martial arts debut on September 8, 2012. He defeated his first opponent in mixed martial arts by a second-round TKO to kick off his career with a win.
Diego Lopes made his promotional debut for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 26, 2023, at UFC 288 against Movsar Evloev. He came up short and lost the bout by unanimous decision. Lopes, however, recovered from the loss and is currently on a four-fight winning streak.
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes' previous bout
Previously the featherweight duo was scheduled to lock horns against each other for UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 in June 2024 as a co-main event for the evening. However, things started to stir up once Ortega was not able to make weight for a featherweight bout, and Diego Lopes agreed to a lightweight fight instead.
Moreover, Ortega had to pull out from the bout as the got severely sick before the fight night. Diego Lopez then faced Dan Ige in a catchweight bout as a replacement and won the fight via a unanimous decision.
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes tale of the tape
| Stats | Brian Ortega | Diego Lopes |
| Record | 16-3 (1) | 25-6 |
| Championship | - | - |
| Age | 33 | 29 |
| Height | 5’8” | 5’11” |
| Division(s) | Featherweight | Featherweight |
| Reach | 69 ” | 72” |
| Win streak (active) | 1 | 4 |
| Stance | Switch | Orthodox |
| Professional Debut | 2010 | 2012 |
Brian Ortega’s record
Brian Ortega has a professional mixed martial arts record of 16 wins, 3 losses, and 1 no-contest as of September 2024.
| 20 matches | 16 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 2 |
| By submission | 8 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
Diego Lopes’ record
Diego Lopes has a professional mixed martial arts record of 24 wins and 6 losses as of September 2024.
| 30 matches | 25 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 2 |
| By submission | 12 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 4 |
Brian Ortega’s losses
Brian Ortega has suffered three losses in his professional mixed martial arts career.
Brian Ortega vs. Max Holloway
Brian Ortega and Max Holloway squared off against each other on December 8, 2018, at UFC 231 for the UFC featherweight championship. Holloway won the fight in the fourth round via a doctor’s stoppage and handed Ortega his first professional fight.
Brian Ortega vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Brian Ortega met Alexander Volkanovski on September 25, 2021, at UFC 266 for the UFC featherweight championship. Volkanovski defeated him by a unanimous decision and handed him his second professional loss.
Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez
Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez locked horns with each other at UFC on ABC: Ortega vs. Rodriguez on July 16, 2022. Ortega lost the fight by a first-round TKO and suffered a shoulder injury in the match. The loss was his third defeat in his professional mixed martial arts career.
*Last updated on September 5, 2024.
FAQs on Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes
A. He has a professional mixed martial arts record of 16 wins, 3 losses, and 1 no-contest.
A. He has a professional mixed martial arts record of 25 wins and 6 losses.
A. He has a reach of 69 inches.
A. He has a reach of 72 inches.
A. He has an orthodox fighting stance.
