Diego Lopes excited to be UFC 308 backup for Topuria vs. Holloway

Just a bit over a yr into his UFC profession, Diego Lopes has skilled a run matched by few.

Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) finds himself sitting at No. 3 on the UFC official rankings, some of the in style fighters on the roster, and serving because the official backup for the upcoming predominant occasion featherweight title combat pitting Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway at UFC 308. This chance has Lopes over the moon, and he can’t assist however be in awe of how issues have performed out in his profession.

“It excites me a ton, it actually does,” Lopes instructed MMA Junkie in Spanish. “If one thing comes up, and I combat for the belt and win, my life could be a film. It might be insane.

“Simply 4 years in the past, I went to Abu Dhabi in October as a result of Irene was combating Holly Holm, and I bear in mind Jason Home got here as much as me and stated he wished to work with me. ‘Hey, I need to assist you to. I need to work with you. I think about you you could be champion in the future.’ I stated, ‘No, I don’t need to work with anybody.’ He stored insisting and insisting till I stated sure. And now, 4 years later, after signing with him, after telling me he believed I may very well be champion, 4 years later and I’m going to Abu Dhabi in October to be the backup for a title combat. It’s simply one thing unbelievable.”

Getting the backup for UFC 308 was a straightforward ask for Lopes, who’s on a five-fight successful streak. His most up-to-date victory got here final month in opposition to former title challenger Brian Ortega.

“After the combat, we expressed our want to be the backup, however we ever demanded it, we merely simply instructed them, ‘Hey, when you guys are in want of a backup, I’m accessible, and prepared,” Lopes defined. “If not, I’d wish to combat in December in opposition to Volka (Alexander Volkanovski), if he’s accessible. In order that was it. Just a few weeks glided by, and the UFC despatched us an e-mail saying we’ll be the backup and that’s it. It was lots simpler than I anticipated.”

Lopes is taking his backup position severely, particularly after what he went by way of at UFC 303 in June. The Brazilian crammed within the card on brief discover to combat Ortega. Nonetheless, as a consequence of well being issues, Ortega withdrew from the cardboard only a few hours earlier than their scheduled bout. In simply hours’ discover, Dan Ige crammed in and fought Lopes.

With that have in hand, Lopes will stay able to combat Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) or Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) till he sees them each step into the octagon on Oct. 26.

“I’m doing all the pieces as if I had been combating on the cardboard,” Lopes stated. “I spoke to my nutritionist, and I instructed him, I don’t understand how different backups do it, however I’m not simply planning to make the load, and that’s it. I’m actually doing all the pieces as if I had been combating. I’m going to Abu Dhabi subsequent week, and I’m taking six individuals with me. I’m paying them all the pieces, and I’m doing the sufficient preparation as if I had been combating that evening. I plan on making the load effectively and being in form. I’m not simply going to weigh in to pocket a paycheck. No, I’m doing all the pieces as if I had been combating.

“Even the day of the combat, till I see each guys contained in the octagon, that’s after I’m tuning off the swap. One thing that had by no means occurred, which was a combat falling by way of two hours earlier than it occurred with me. So after that, I can anticipate simply something, so I’ll be prepared.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 308.