Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez went shared a heated moment ahead of UFC 314. Both fighters are due to fight on the main card this weekend, with Yair Rodriguez welcoming former two-division Bellator champion, Patrício Pitbull to the UFC in a Featherweight bout, whilst Diego Lopes is due to fight former Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant Featherweight title.
On Wednesday at UFC 314 Media day, Rodriguez criticised Lopes for representing Mexico and Brazil despite being born in Brazil. Rodrguez said, “I started my career in the UFC in 2014, and now it’s 2025. I’ve been living in the U.S.A. for over 10 years. My girlfriend is America,n and I speak English. And now, because of that, I’m representing the American flag to gain followers? I love this country, but I’m not going to say I’m American. I’m not. I’m Mexican, and I’m proud of it.”
The UFC 314 presser exploded when Lopes dismissed talk that Rodriguez would be next for a title if he won, saying, “How many consecutive losses does he have? How many? Two? That’s not enough.”
Rodriguez lost his cool after this comment saying, “Didn’t you jump Marco (Beltran) with your team? Yes or no? I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you this to your (expletive) face. You’re going to pay for Marco.” Beltran is a former UFC fighter who fought Lopes back in 2019. The fight saw Lopes win via submission.
Lopes then threw accusations back at Rodriguez, saying, “You threatened a girl, and you’re going to pay.” Whilst the validity of both men’s accusations is up in the air, it is clear that both fighters have a history.
Potential Future Matchup
The question that led Lopes to dismiss Rodriguez as a potential future opponent was regarding a potential matchup at UFC 320 in September in Guadalajara, Mexico. Whilst the matchup is highly dependent on the results of UFC 314, it could provide a great opportunity should the stars align to see these two face off in Mexico. The drama that took place during the press conference has definitely built intrigue for a future matchup.
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