Diego Lopes shone last Saturday (13) by knocking out Jean Silva in the co-main event of Noche UFC and maintaining his position in the elite of the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg). This position attracts interest from those who aspire to fight for the category's belt, as is the case with the former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) Aljamain Sterling.
Following Diego Lopes ' victory , the former champion took to social media and issued a direct challenge to the Brazilian, offering him a chance to compete for the category title.
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"The winner gets the title fight. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!", Sterling wrote in the caption of a photo alongside Diego Lopes on Instagram.
Bantamweight champion with three title defenses between 2021 and 2023, when he was dethroned by Sean O'Malley, Aljamain Sterling moved up to featherweight in 2024. In the current category, the American has two wins and one loss, is coming off a victory over former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC Macau in August, and occupies the fifth position in the division's ranking.
"They said I had no striking ability, but I shut them up. They said this guy and that guy were going to erase me, but I shut them up. I've always been the underdog, and I keep delivering. I didn't go 12-0 and break the bantamweight title record for wins and defenses because they handed it to me," he said.
The featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg) has Alexander Volkanovski as its current champion , who regained the title by defeating Diego Lopes in a fight for the belt vacated by Ilia Topuria in April of this year. The Australian has not yet confirmed his first title defense, but the likely opponent is Briton Lerone Murphy , currently ranked No. 4.
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