Rematch against Volkanovski? Diego Lopes hints at the possibility of a 'queue jumper' to fight for the UFC belt

Diego Lopes celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/diegolopesmma

Diego Lopes is more alive than ever in the race to compete for the UFC featherweight title (up to 65,8 kg). In September, in Texas (USA), the athlete shone by knocking out Jean Silva in the second round. And the spinning elbow he delivered was so impactful that the Brazilian may have altered the plans of Alexander Volkanovski , the category champion, and the company itself.

Previously, the Australian opened the doors to face the undefeated Lerone Murphy and projected the duel to take place in December, at his home, but, shortly after, he hinted that his next fight should take place in early 2026 and possibly against another athlete. Present at the question and answer session with fans, held last Friday (10), in Rio de Janeiro, and which was attended by SUPER LUTAS , Diego believes that he has done enough to jump the queue of the Englishman and have a new chance to compete for the title.

It's worth noting that Volkanovski himself congratulated and praised the Brazilian for his victory over his compatriot. Furthermore, the champion mentioned the athlete as a potential rival, along with Murphy, Aljamain Sterling , and Movsar Evloev.

"I think I did a great job in my last fight, putting my name on the table again to fight for the belt. Volkanovski gave an interview saying he would have an obstacle to fighting Murphy in December. So, I hope that obstacle is me fighting him at the beginning of the year," said the fighter.

Defeat to Volkanovski

Diego Lopes already had an opportunity to become the UFC featherweight champion. In April, the Brazilian fought for the vacant title against Alexander Volkanovski . In the octagon, the athlete even startled the Australian at certain moments, but lost by unanimous decision. In any case, the professional is close to settling accounts with the veteran and has his respect.

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