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UFC star Diego Lopes has hit out at Jean Silva ahead of their Noche UFC clash over comments regarding his Mexican/Brazilian heritage.
Next month at Noche UFC, Diego Lopes and Jean Silva will collide in a crucial featherweight encounter. Both men believe they’re capable of becoming world champion, and for Lopes, he needs to prove that he is able to bounce back in style following his setback against Alexander Volkanovski.
Regardless of who you prefer out of these two men, there’s no denying that Diego Lopes and Jean Silva are seemingly destined to put on a great fight. Recently, however, Silva turned up the heat by questioning Diego’s background, implying he doesn’t know whether he’s Mexican or Brazilian.
As you can imagine, Diego Lopes was quick to defend himself.
Diego Lopes shows frustration at Jean Silva
“I find that very silly,” Lopes told MMA Junkie in Spanish reacting to Silva’s comments. “Apart from it all, we’re in a sport that’s global. If we were in the Olympics, where you have to literally represent your country, OK, fine. But that’s not the case in MMA. Believe me: I’ve been hearing this nonsense for so many years from people like, ‘Oh, he’s not Mexican. He’s not Brazilian.’
“I’ve heard it from both sides, from Hispanic people to Brazilians. It’s all good. I don’t care. I know the people who support me and that are with me. I remember the people who were with me when I literally had nothing. I let people talk. One thing is certain, though: The day of the fight I will walk out with the flag of Brazil and Mexico – whether they like it or not. It’s that simple.”
“I don’t like to be talking on the internet. I did with ‘El Pantera (Rodriguez),’ but he looked for it, and then he didn’t want to fight,” Lopes said. “Jean Silva is talking bad about me, and that’s fine.
“He’s trying a lot of things, and even saying that I disrespected him, but to this day, I’m still trying to understand when I disrespected him. I saw an interview come out where he was like, ‘Oh, no. I think maybe I got things confused, and this is all childish, but I’m going to break him anyway.’ that’s fine if he wants to sell the fight that way. It doesn’t affect me in any way.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
