Diego Lopes is ready to help the featherweight division move on.
Over the weekend, Ilia Topuria teased that he’s considering dropping his UFC featherweight title to move up to 155 pounds. In light of lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defending his belt in January against Arman Tsarukyan, “El Matador” suggested a possible fight with Charles Oliveira sometime in the spring, and if Topuria follows through on his talk, Lopes is ready to fill in the new vacancy atop the division, calling for a fight with former champion and presumptive No. 1 contender Alexander Volkanovski.
@alexvolkanovski , if Ilia going to 155, let's meet in the Octagon. You can pick the date and location.
— Diego Lopes (@Diegolopesmma) December 11, 2024
“Alexander Volkanovski, if Ilia [is] going to 155, let’s meet in the Octagon. You can pick the date and location.”
Reigning over the 145-pound weight class for almost five years, Volkanovski dropped his title to Topuria back in March. Since then, “The Great” has been waiting for his opportunity for a rematch with Topuria, who instead defended against Max Holloway at UFC 308. Now, Volkanovski appears to be next in line against Topuria, but if the champion vacates, he would also make sense to fill in for a vacant title fight.
Lopes, meanwhile, rose to prominence over the past two years with a string of sensational performances. Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, Lopes served as the backup fighter for the UFC 308 title fight between Topuria and Holloway.
