"Aljo cooked him," "10-8 Diego" - Fans divided as Aljamain Sterling and Diego Lopes have a heated back-and-forth on X

Diego Lopes has not entered the octagon since last September when he defeated Brian Ortega via unanimous decision at UFC 306. The No.3-ranked featherweight is set to make his return in April as he takes on Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant title at UFC 314 following Ilia Topuria's decision to move up to the lightweight division.

He recently was involved in a back-and-forth exchange with Aljamain Sterling on X after the former bantamweight champion revealed that he believes Movsar Evleov was more deserving of the title opportunity. Championship Rounds shared the comments from both fighters on Monday, tweeting:

"Diego Lopes and Aljamain Sterling go back and forth on X 👀🍿 Aljo: "You got the shot over the guy who beat you. Be grareful and make the most of the opportunity." Diego: "Because I accept fights and don't deny fights like you and your friend Movsar did and do." #UFC314 #UFC #MMA"

Check out the tweet from Championship Rounds below:

Fans shared their reaction to the exchange between the two fighters. One claimed that Sterling got the better of Lopes in the exchange:

"Aljo cooked him 😭😭"

Another fan saw things differently:

"10-8 diego"

Other comments read:

"Seems to me that Aljo is just speaking logically and not saying anything against Diego Idk why he got defensive lol Like Movsar or not, he does have a win over him and is undefeated But we all know the UFC runs off entertainment That’s all Aljo is saying"

"Volk is washed and even though he holds the title fight this is just a precursor for Lopez vs Mosvar and then an Ilia return after he gets smacked by Islam 🤷‍♂️"

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Diego Lopes shares statement after receiving title opportunity

Diego Lopes has worked his way to a title opportunity less than two years after joining the UFC. The No.3-ranked featherweight took to X following the announcement of the bout to share a statement, tweeting:

"I have worked like no one else in recent years, I have accepted challenges and dares that the UFC has put in front of me, I have said yes in every situation, even when it was not favorable for me. In less than 2 years within the UFC I will have my opportunity for the title. I will not fail. Dream, believe and make it happen. #AndNew"

Check out Diego Lopes' tweet on fighting for the belt below:

Lopes will enter the bout on a five-fight winning streak that includes two finishes. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski has dropped three of his past four bouts, including suffering his first career loss at featherweight in his most recent appearance in the octagon.