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A featherweight match between No. 2 ranked contender Diego Lopes (26-7) and No. 10 ranked Jean Silva (16-2) headlines Saturday’s Noche UFC 3 fight card in San Antonio, Texas.
Lopes will enter Saturday’s main event coming off a loss to champion Alexander Volkanovksi in April. Silva will bring with him a 13-fight winning streak. Since his arrival in the UFC in January 2024, Silva has not gone the distance finishing all five of his opponents.
Lopes looks to end Silva’s impressive win streak and doesn’t think the fight will go to the judges to decide.
“I’m finishing this fight. This no go to the distance,” Lopes said during Wednesday’s Noche UFC Media Day.
Despite the loss to Volkanovski, which ended a five-fight winning streak, Lopes is more confident than ever.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself now. I have a lot of confidence in myself now because I learned from watching the fight. I think Volk taught me a lot things in this fight. I fixed many things after the fight too. Now I have more confidence in myself,” he said.
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“Before the fight with Volk, I had a lot of confidence, but I think I didn’t have the experience in the octagon for this moment. Now I have more experience. I think for this I have more confidence,” continued Lopes. “After this, nothing is new for me in the octagon. I faced the best guy in the world. After the Volk fight, I think nothing is new for me.”
Like any fight, the bout could play out a number of ways. However it plays out, Lopes sees himself finishing the Brazilian.
“I think I pressure him. This guys is broken. I’m finishing him. Knockout or submission. Maybe I knock him down and finish him. This is my prediction.”
