Diego Lopes expects to be in Alexa Grasso’s nook when she faces Valentina Shevchenko for a 3rd time for the UFC ladies’s flyweight title at UFC 306 on Sept. 14, and that’s one other incentive for him to hunt a fast end towards Brian Ortega earlier that night time.
Lopes and Ortega are scheduled to compete within the third bout of the principle card at The Sphere, with Grasso co-headlining the present proper earlier than Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili. Lopes hopes he can leaves the cage injury-free to be there for his teammate.
“Now we have talked about this loads, how we’re going to deal with this, as a result of I’ve been in her nook ever since she moved to 125 [pounds],” Lopes instructed MMA Preventing. “We work collectively, we assist one another, I educate her and study from her, however we don’t know what we’re going to do. I’ll struggle my struggle, after which comes Alexa. We all know how we come out of a struggle, particularly figuring out how powerful Ortega is. It could possibly be a conflict and we each may come out unhealthy. [Laughs.] However I’m centered. It’s further motivation to return out nice on this struggle, to win shortly and rush to the locker room, change garments and be in Alexa’s nook.”
Lopes mentioned he requested his crew to attempt to transfer his struggle down the cardboard, however understands why it’s positioned as it’s. The Brazilian athlete is on a roll after profitable 4 straight UFC bouts in slightly below 11 months towards Gavin Tucker, Pat Sabatini, Sodiq Yusuff, and Dan Ige.
Ortega is a two-time title challenger who submitted Yair Rodriguez in his most up-to-date octagon look.
“I’d slightly struggle early,” Lopes mentioned. “I even instructed the blokes I might don’t have any downside being the primary struggle of the night time, or two or three fights earlier than [Grasso], so I could be there along with her. However the place we’re on the cardboard speaks of the good work we’re doing. And we’ll even have out teammate Irene Aldana on the cardboard. It’s nice for our crew, having three fighters in some of the spectacular and well-produced playing cards within the UFC.”
Grasso can also be anticipated to be cornered by Francisco Grasso, her uncle and head coach at Lobo Fitness center, and Alessandro Costa, who competes every week earlier at UFC Vegas 97.
“We all know we will do unimaginable issues once we’re all 4 there,” Lopes mentioned. “We’ve performed unimaginable issues, and I’m further motivated to win shortly and run to the locker room and be in her nook as effectively.”
Mexico’s Lobo Fitness center has performed unimaginable issues within the UFC, certainly.
Apart from Lopes and flyweight champion Grasso, the crew has additionally led Aldana to a title shot towards former 135-pound champion Amanda Nunes. Aldana beat Karol Rosa earlier this 12 months to rebound from that championship loss, and now faces Norma Dumont at UFC 306. Costa faces Matt Schnell on Sept. 7 after a bonus-winning knockout of Kevin Borjas at UFC 301 in Might, and Crazy Godinez continues to rise as a strawweight prospect regardless of stumbling towards veterans Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern this previous 12 months.
Lopes was even nominated for Breakthrough Fighter of the Yr on the 2024 World MMA Awards, plus Submission of the Yr for his triangle armbar over Gavin Tucker. Lobo Fitness center can also be within the working for greatest fitness center and Coach of the Yr (Francisco Grasso).
“It’s unimaginable for us,” Lopes mentioned. “Not too way back individuals had been leaving Mexico for different locations to evolve, however we’ve performed a wonderful work right here. Alexa gained 4 awards final 12 months coaching and evolving in Mexico, and now I’ve the consideration of being nominated breakthrough fighter and in addition greatest submission. That goes to indicate the work we’ve performed right here as a crew.”
“Our crew is working towards different groups which have larger title and greater than 10 athletes within the UFC,” he continued. “We solely have 5 fighters within the UFC, and 4 of them are ranked — and our nice teammate Alessandro Costa is preventing the No. 12 ranked subsequent. Our coach has performed an important job.”
