Diego Lopes at peace with UFC 325 loss: 'Did all the things in attain'

[ad_1] Diego Lopes will not be blissful he got here up brief in his second try at his dream of profitable a UFC championship belt. Nevertheless, amid the frustration, Lopes is at peace.

At UFC 325 in January, Lopes (27-8 MMA, 6-3 UFC) had a rematch with all-time nice featherweight Alexander Volkanovski in Australia. Lopes misplaced a unanimous choice to Volkanovski in April 2025. Ten months did not make a lot of a distinction within the end result, and Lopes once more dropped a unanimous choice.

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"I am good. I am at peace with myself," Lopes advised Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "We needed to lose yet another time in one other title, however what are you able to do? It's important to proceed with life. It isn't the top of the world."

The Brazilian, who resides in Mexico, was closely criticized inside the MMA group for his technique within the rematch, having misplaced lower than a yr prior. Nevertheless, Lopes does really feel he modified issues up considerably, and he is assured he gave his finest effort.

"I did a little bit of all the things," Lopes mentioned. "Individuals talked after the final battle, saying I did not go for takedowns. I did take him down this time, however I did not do something huge with it. His protection was actually good. He stood up rapidly and defended nicely the again, and the submission. 'Oh, you did not kick.' I kicked a ton – a lot I destroyed my ft kicking. Sadly, there's not a lot to say. I did greater than the primary battle. He was simply merely higher than me that night time."

Lopes does not perceive why folks have criticized his efficiency. He thinks folks overlook he is not solely preventing a UFC champion, however arguably the best featherweight within the historical past of MMA.

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"Individuals overlook, however I am not preventing a sack of potatoes," Lopes mentioned. "I am not preventing somebody who's going to let me do no matter I would like. I do not get the criticism of the folks. It is easy to speak if you're on the surface, however being in there and preventing is a special factor. I assumed that I may beat him, too, but it surely ended up being not as straightforward as anticipated. Persons are at all times going to criticize a method or one other."

Despite the fact that some folks may not be, the 31-year-old is pleased with his efficiency and his workforce's work within the lead-up to the occasion.

"We actually made the changes we wanted to make," Lopes mentioned. "We did a very good job. If you happen to actually focus in on the battle, and have a look at the stats, by way of strikes landed, we landed the identical ammount. I feel I even threw two greater than him. It was 169 to 168. Spherical after spherical, the distinction between us was a strike or two, max 5 strikes. In Spherical 5, we did probably the most scrambles and he took a bonus there. However the actuality is that we did all the things that was in attain. Merely that we simply want to simply accept and admit that Volkanovski is an clever motherf*cker relating to preventing.

"What am I going to do or what do I've to complain? He beat me twice. There's not a lot to say. I simply have to offer him the credit score. I felt we did give a extra aggressive battle than the primary, although some folks do not see it that manner. I felt it was extra aggressive. I used to be in a position to take him down. I locked in a submission. I defended takedowns, submissions. I minimize the angle when he was shifting left. I kicked him. I did all the things and it wasn't sufficient. I simply have to offer him credit score."