But at this time last year, the Brazilian was on the outside looking in, on a two-fight winning streak but still waiting for his call to the big show.
“My goal at the time was just to stay ready when the opportunity came,” said Lopes through a translator. “I knew that it was just a matter of time until I got the call to fight in the UFC, so I was preparing as if I was already under contract and just waiting for my next assignment. I definitely thought at the time that the call was coming soon.”
It did. On May 6, 2023, he made his short-notice UFC debut against unbeaten Movsar Evloev. After three rounds, Evloev kept the “0” in his loss column, but it was Lopes who was the talk of the town for his Fight of the Night effort. Two Performance of the Night finishes of Gavin Tucker and Pat Sabatini followed, and everything changed.
Not bad for a “new” guy with 29 pro fights.
Lopes laughs.