UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad has given his take on Diego Lopes’ approach to his first title shot.
Lopes competed with gold on the line for the first time in this past weekend’s UFC 314 pay-per-view main event, challenging for the vacant featherweight title.
In the Brazilian’s way of a title crowning was Alexander Volkanovski, a legendary former champ looking to regain his place on the throne following back-to-back knockouts at the hands of Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
“Alexander the Great” ultimately proved to be a hurdle too tall for Lopes, who fell to a convincing defeat on the scorecards following five rounds of action.
The bout wasn’t without moments of success for Lopes, however. The 30-year-old scored a knockdown in round two before finishing the fight with a late flurry.
And his pedal to the metal approach to the final minute in Miami is exactly how Muhammad thinks the Brazilian should have fought from the start.
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“Diego Should’ve fought the whole fight like he did that last minute,” Muhammad wrote on X.
Diego Lopes will now look to bounce back following his disappointing night in Miami to ensure his name stays in the championship mix at 145 pounds.
For now, the only other man to defeat him in the UFC, undefeated Russian contender Movsar Evloev, will push for his first title opportunity in the UFC.
