Whenever a fighter is on a winning streak, dominating fight after fight, they receive all the flowers they deserve. That’s exactly what is happening with Diego Lopes. Due to his ongoing dominance, the Brazilian has garnered huge attention in Dana White’s promotion. If there were any doubts about Lopes’ skills, he erased them with his solid performance against Brian Ortega at UFC Noche. Clearly, facing Lopes now adds weight to any opponent’s case. That’s why Movsar Evloev called the Brazilian out for UFC 307 after Aljamain Sterling pulled out, which led to a heated exchange between them.
Recently, Sterling pulled out of UFC 307, leaving Evloev stranded just two weeks before the event. With Sterling’s exit creating a hole in the lineup, Evloev turned to Lopes, who had recently shone at UFC 306, hoping he would step in to fill the void. However, Lopes responded with a fiery refusal. He gave Evloev a taste of his own medicine and made sure finding a replacement wouldn’t be easy.
To give context, the Brazilian previously lost to Movsar at UFC 288, after which Lopes demanded a rematch. However, Evloev rejected his plea. Now, when the Russian asked Lopes to step in for UFC 307, ‘The Emo King’ responded with the same frustration he had felt earlier. He dismissed the request with similar disregard, reflecting the behavior he had previously experienced.
Indeed, there’s no way the Brazilian could have fought at UFC 307, as he recently faced Ortega and took some damage despite his dominance. Lopes needs time to recover before his next fight, which is mandatory as per the fight commission. Not to forget, he has already fought three times this year, so taking on another bout so soon could be very risky. Meanwhile, seeing if the Russians find a new opponent now that Aljamain Sterling has pulled out will be interesting.
UFC 307: Why Did Aljamain Sterling Pull Out Just Two Weeks Away From Movsar Evloev Fight?
With only two weeks left until UFC 307, the unfortunate news of Sterling’s withdrawal was announced on his YouTube channel following his recent presence in Merab Dvalishvili’s corner at Sphere. ‘Funk Master’ revealed that he won’t be able to fight due to an injury he suffered while sparring. UFC medical staff advised him not to compete, making his withdrawal necessary.
He announced his withdrawal: “I will not be competing in Salt Lake City at UFC 307. In sparring, I had an injury not requiring surgery. But I was advised by the UFC medical staff that I will not be able to properly compete in this short of a turnaround.”
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Furthermore, Sterling asked Movsar to be patient and wait until December for their fight. He claims he will be ready by then and wants to postpone the fight until he is fully recovered. Now, it will be interesting to see if the Russian waits for him or if he finds an opponent and later takes on Sterling.
Also Read: Umar Nurmagomedov Rips Merab Dvalishvili For Hypocritical Double Standards—”Desperately Protesting”
