Fight Coverage
Co-Main Event Spotlight | UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2
Take A Closer Look At The Two Featherweights Set To Battle In Saturday’s Co-Main Event
International Fight Week in Las Vegas is always an action-packed week, capped off by an unforgettable card on Saturday night. This year is no different, as a light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka sits atop the card. But before they throw down, an exciting featherweight clash is on deck in the co-main event.
Jiu-jitsu artists square off when No. 3 ranked contender Brian Ortega takes on rising star Diego Lopes in a co-headliner that was announced just two weeks ago.
Saturday's Full Fight Card Preview
Let’s take an in-depth look at this featherweight matchup.
Brian Ortega
Former title challenger Brian Ortega returned to action earlier this year in February after suffering an injury during his fight against Yair Rodriguez in July 2022. His return in Mexico City came against Rodriguez and he secured a huge third-round submission over “El Pantera” keeping him right in the mix of contenders at the top of the division.
Ortega comes into the bout with far more UFC experience than Lopes, making his debut back in 2014, while this is only Lopes’ fifth UFC fight. During his UFC career, Ortega has gone 8-3, with one no contest. He has three of those eight wins by knockout and four by submission. “T-City” is known for his success on the ground, and it’s one of the reasons this matchup so exciting.
Diego Lopes
Just five fights into his UFC career, Diego Lopes has made a name for himself and has quickly become a fan favorite. He made his UFC debut last May against Movsar Evloev on five days’ notice, and despite losing by decision, he found success multiple times against Evloev, putting him on the radar as a new threat in the featherweight division.
Diego Lopes Fight Week Interview | UFC 303
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Diego Lopes Fight Week Interview | UFC 303
/
Since then, he has gone to secure first-round stoppages in his last three fights, with two knockouts and one submission. Even though he doesn’t have the overall experience in the Octagon to match Ortega’s, he does come into the bout with 30 professional fights, 24 of which have been victories. The jiu-jitsu black belt scored 12 of his 24 wins by submission, with 10 of them by knockout.
Meeting In The Middle
Both of these featherweights have proven that no matter where this fight goes, it will always be entertaining to watch. Lopes has managed to earn all of his wins in under two minutes, making his average fight just slightly under five minutes, while Ortega has an average fight of about 13 minutes.
Lopes has a higher striking accuracy of 61.8 percent, while Ortega’s is only at 38.6 percent, but that doesn’t mean Ortega doesn’t present threats on the feet. Ortega has proven his durability to last in fights, which could go to his advantage if the fight enters deep waters.
Because of Lopes’ ability to get opponents out of the Octagon quickly, he averages 0 takedowns per 15 minutes, while Ortega has an average of 1.17 takedowns. They’re evenly matched in takedown defense, with Lopes sitting at 50 percent and Ortega at 57.7 percent.
This fight against “T-City” is Lopes’ biggest test to date and with a new champion atop the division, a win could put either man right in the mix of contenders for Ilia Topuria. The matchup between Ortega and Lopes may have been a co-main event that came together within a matter of weeks, but it’ll be one that fans won’t want to miss.
UFC 303: Pereira vs Procházka 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 29, 2024. See the Final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
Tags
