Diego Lopes plans to make quick work of Brian Ortega at UFC 306 in hopes to keep with tradition and corner teammate Alexa Grasso

UFC featherweight Diego Lopes will have his hands full at UFC 306, as he plans to corner his teammate and women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso after battling No. 3 ranked Brian Ortega the same night.

UFC Noche doesn't appear to be an easy night for the Brazilian, as the 29-year-old will face the toughest opponent of his career before returning to corner his teammate for her trilogy fight against Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight belt.

Ahead of UFC 306, Lopes spoke to MMAFighting and said he looks forward to a frantic night at UFC Noche:

"I'll fight my fight, and then comes Alexa. We know how we come out of a fight, especially knowing how tough Ortega is. It could be a war and we both might come out bad. [Laughs.] But I’m focused. It’s extra motivation to come out fine in this fight, to win quickly and rush to the locker room, change clothes and be in Alexa’s corner.”

Lopes and Grasso train together at Lobo MMA gym in Jalisco, Mexico. The featherweight will square off against Ortega in a potential title eliminator. The pair were booked previously at UFC 303, but a last-minute injury prevented 'T-City' from competing. Meanwhile, the women's flyweight champion will complete her trilogy bout against Shevchenko after having submitted her to clinch the strap in March 2023 and winning a controversial split decision in September 2023.

The card also includes Irene Aldana, another pupil of the same gym, along with a host of other exciting Mexican fighters looking to outclass their opponents and make a statement at UFC Noche, as it coincides with Mexican Independence Day week.

---

Diego Lopes could fight for the title if he gets past Brian Ortega

Diego Lopes has had a dream run in the UFC so far. After making his promotional debut in 2023, the 29-year-old was featured in the marquee event of UFC 300. Aside from two decisions, having gone either way, the Brazilian-born Mexican only has first-round finishes thus far.

However, Ortega is arguably the trickiest challenge for the 29-year-old yet. The two-time title challenger has faced veterans and contenders all his career, and overcoming his experience would be a gritty task for any featherweight, but if Lopes manages to do so, a title shot doesn't seem too far.

During the aforementioned interview with MMAFighting, Lopes indicated that beating 'T-City' would bring him closer to the title:

“I don’t know if I’ll go straight for the belt [with a win at UFC 306], but my name will definitely be on the table if something happens. If the UFC has any last-minute changes, my name will be on the table, just like it was when they had to replace the co-main event at UFC 303. We can say a chance [for the belt] won’t be that far.” [h/t MMAFighting]

Luckily for Lopes, the 145-pound champion Ilia Topuria has made his preferred opponent for the next title defense clear. In a conversation with MMA Junkie, Topuria was asked to make his pick between Otega-Lopes and Evloev-Sterling as the next title challenger, to which the 'El Matador' asserted:

"Of course, Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes. And I love the attitude that Diego Lopes brings. He's always respectful with me, so I like the attitude he has with me. If he wins, maybe he's the next one in the line. To be honest, I don't know. Maybe it's Volkanovski, maybe it's Diego Lopes, maybe it's Brian Ortega."

Check out Ilia Topuria's comments (16:20):