Diego Lopes cherishes reunion with nephews after years away: "I know they'll have some good memories for the future"

Diego Lopes recently expressed his feelings after catching up with his nephews after a prolonged separation.

Lopes is Brazilian by birth. He spent his entire childhood in the city of Manaus in Amazonas. Lopes started training at an early age, following the background of his family in martial arts. He also began his professional MMA career in Amazonas, Brazil.

But his career took a massive turn at 19 when his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach invited him to Mexico to teach alongside him. Lopes returned to fighting after settling down in Mexico, which ultimately led to his UFC entry. Currently, he trains at his own facility named Brazilian Warriors, located in Puebla, Mexico.

Lopes's UFC affairs and training schedule leave him with little time to concentrate on other tasks. This is why he is compelled to spend prolonged intervals of time outside his native place, Manaus.

However, a recent X update from Lopes showcased that he finally managed some time to travel back home. The No. 3 UFC featherweight enjoyed a casual game of soccer in the rain with his nephews who he said had grown up a lot since he last saw them.

"Being away from home for so long, what do you miss the most? I've been away from home for so long that I didn't even get to see my nephews when they were younger! Today, when it started to rain, the first thing I did was tell them to go outside and play ball in the rain. Something I did a lot when I was a kid. I know they'll have some good memories for the future."

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Diego Lopes's next UFC rival selected: Report

Diego Lopes had his last octagon encounter against Brian Ortega at UFC 306 where he earned a convincing unanimous decision victory. Following the rumors of Ilia Topuria's move up to lightweight, Lopes expressed his wish to lock horns with former champ Alexander Volkanovski next.

But Topuria recently refuted those rumors, which also caused Lopes's wish to fall flat since Volkanovski is scheduled to be Topuria's next rival. However, reports say that the UFC brass has already selected Lopes's next rival.

A recent X update from Australian MMA informer @Bendaman2001 revealed that Lopes will possibly lock horns with No. 8 featherweight Josh Emmett in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Mexico City on March 29th.

"[As] per Sources Diego Lopes vs Josh Emmett is in the works to main event the UFC Fight Night in Mexico City on March 29th"