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Diego Lopes is the UFC 306 fighter to watch

Diego Lopes is the UFC 306 fighter to watch as he brings explosive talent, relentless determination, and a dynamic fighting style to the octagon. Discover why Lopes is generating buzz and making waves in the world of mixed martial arts.

By Scott Mitchell

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Diego Lopes during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Diego Lopes during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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On Saturday, Sept. 14, UFC will stay in Las Vegas to host its big event UFC 306. Noche UFC as it's also called will mark the UFC's first-ever event inside the Las Vegas Sphere. UFC 306 promises to be a massive night and could very well be one of the biggest shows in the history of the UFC. The show will be headlined by a big bantamweight title fight, which will see Sean O'Malley put the belt on the line against Merab Dvalishvili. However, the action doesn't stop there as we will also see Alexa Grasso put her women's flyweight championship on the line against Valentina Shevchenko. With so many big fights announced for this massive spectacle of a show, who is the UFC 306 fighter to watch?

If you're looking to figure out which fighter on this stacked card is the fighter to watch, you don't have to look very far. With all the stacked fights announced, we will also see a featherweight bout with huge implications. It will be No. 3 Brian Ortega squaring off with No. 13 Diego Lopes. For UFC 306, Lopes is the fighter to watch because the implications that could occur should he knockout Ortega could be massive. Don't let the rankings fool you either. While Ortega is a viable contender for the featherweight championship, he could be well past his prime.

Ortega and Lopes was a fight that was supposed to happen back at UFC 303. However, unfortunately, Ortega was medically unable to compete. This led to the bout being canceled, and now happening on Saturday. This is a fight that could have major implications, should Lopes pull out the win here. With Lopes ranked at No. 13, a victory over one of the top ranked featherweights could be just what he needs to crack into that top five.

Diego Lopes vs. Brian Ortega was rescheduled for UFC 306

Lopes is no slouch in the Octagon either. He comes into this fight having won his past four fights in a row. Throughout those past four fights, just one of them came down to a decision, against Dan Ige in June. His fight against Sodiq Yusuff in April was a dominant display by Lopes, as he knocked out Yusuff after one minute in the first round. Likewise, back in 2023, he finished both Pat Sabatini and Gavin Tucker in the first round as well.

However, one of the things that makes Lopes a fun fighter to watch, is he is equally skilled in his striking ability, as he is in his grappling ability. Lopes puts a lot of pressure on his opponents, especially in the early rounds of fights. For many opponents, they don't even make it out of the first round with Lopes. Lopes has the skillset to pull off a massive upset against one of the top-ranked featherweights in Ortega.

With how much could potentially be riding on this fight, a win here could work wonders for Lopes. If Lopes picked up a decisive win over Ortega, he would likely be in the top five contenders for the featherweight title. This means, Lopes next fight could very well be a title fight or a number one contender fight. However, standing in his way is a very formidable challenger in Ortega.

It shouldn't be understated that Ortega has a lot of the same skills needed to finish a fight. This fight has the ability to be over fairly quickly and not go the full three rounds. However, one thing we know for sure is Lopes is going to come out of the gate very hungry. With how much is riding on the line for Lopes, he is without a doubt the UFC 306 fighter to watch.

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