Diego Lopes and Jean Silva are primed for big things. Lopes and Silva, two of the featherweight division’s most potent finishers, headline UFC Fight Night, dubbed Noche UFC, on Saturday. The winner puts themselves on solid ground for a UFC title shot.
Lopes (26-7) has enjoyed one of the fastest rises of any UFC fighter in the modern era. He challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant UFC featherweight championship 23 months removed from his short-notice UFC debut. Lopes fought commendably in a unanimous decision loss to Volkanovski and sits comfortably as the UFC’s No. 2-ranked featherweight. His success culminates in a marquee spot this weekend.
Noche UFC is a cultural melting pot. Lopes is Brazilian, but represents his longtime home nation, Mexico, in a Mexican Independence Day card held in San Antonio. The pressure seems to be on Lopes: he’s the spiritual hometown fighter taking on a lower-ranked opponent. But Lopes believes the pressure falls on Silva after his Fighting Nerds teammates, Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy, lost key fights at UFC Fight Night in Paris.
“I think he has too much pressure on his back,” Lopes told CBS Sports. “He’s the only guy from his team who is still undefeated in the UFC. I think he has a lot of responsibility on him. This is better for me. Maybe he tries to do everything perfectly. When you try to do everything perfectly, you make many mistakes.”
Check out the full interview with Diego Lopes below.
Silva (16-2) could have a major breakout moment ahead of him. Silva has a short fuse and vicious finishing ability. He’s stopped his five UFC opponents, most recently demolishing Bryce Mitchell. Silva’s rabid personality and finishing ability make him a valuable challenger for Volkanovski, if Silva can leap from No. 10 to No. 2 in the rankings. Silva is unwavering in his belief that he’ll finish Lopes, and scoffs at the assertion that his teammates’ recent tribulations would have any effect on his performance.
“It doesn’t do anything for me,” Silva told CBS Sports through a Portuguese interpreter. “Everyone knows how close I am to Ruffy. Obviously, it was upsetting but it doesn’t change anything. I go in there with a lot of love. I love what I do. I put all my heart into it. You won’t find someone who trains more than me. When I fought Drew Dober, I broke both hands. Three days later, I was riding the bike at the UFC Performance Institute. I love what I do.”
Saturday’s undercard is light on marketable ifhgts. The original co-main event pitted perennial contender Rob Font against young bantamweight star Raul Rosas Jr. The intriguing crossroads fight took a hit after David Martinez replaced Rosas. The best fight outside the main event is the undercard clash between Alexander Hernandez and Diego Ferreira.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday, with the latest odds before we predict the main event. Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Jean Silva -258 | Diego Lopes +210 | Featherweight |
| Rob Font -115 | David Martinez -105 | Bantamweight |
| Jared Gordon -230 | Rafa Garcia +190 | Lightweight |
| Kelvin Gastelum -245 | Dustin Stoltzfus +200 | Middleweight |
| Santiago Luna -135 | Quang Le +114 | Bantamweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Sept. 13 | Start time: 6 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Frost Bank Center — San Antonio
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva: This fight is dynamite. Both fighters are aggressive with ample knockout and submission skills. The Fighting Nerds’ recent struggles don’t much influence my view on the fight. Silva has always been the team’s most compelling fighter, in my opinion. The UFC Stats website shows advantages for Silva in pivotal fields, including striking offense and defense, and takedowns. Unfortunately, those stats are skewed by their competitive experience. Lopes debuted against elite featherweight Movsar Evloev and recently fought the champ. Silva hasn’t fought anyone close to comparable. Lopes has never been stopped, let alone knocked down, in the UFC, but his willingness to throw down could cost him against Silva. Lopes’ submission skills are superior, and you’d think he’s made strides in his wrestling before and after the Volkanovski fight. This fight is truly a pick’em, but with both fighters having an avenue to win, I’ll side with the more experienced one. Lopes via Unanimous Decision
