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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDiego Lopes Goes Candid on Why He Moved Up to Lightweight and Whether the Move Is Permanent<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Diego Lopes has explained why he has decided to move up to lightweight despite winning his last featherweight outing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lopes last fought at UFC Freedom 250, where he knocked out Steve Garcia in the second round.\u00a0Now, the former 145-pound title challenger is moving up to 155 pounds to challenge BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 335.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a recent sit-down with Ariel Helwani, Diego Lopes explained why he\u2019s moving up to lightweight and whether the move is permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lopes believes that after losing both title fights and failing to capture the undisputed UFC featherweight championship, he has few options left at 145 pounds right now.\u00a0Therefore, he decides to move up and \u201ctake some fun fights.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI lost twice to Volk, I won my last fight at 145, and we don\u2019t have a lot of options there right now. So we made the decision to move to 155 and take some fun fights.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Lopes also opined that the move may not be permanent. He added\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNow I can do more things. I can take supplements, I can take creatine, I can lift more. I want to feel my power and my strength at 155, and after this fight we\u2019ll see if I stay or go back to 145.\u201d<\/p>\n Check out Diego Lopes\u2019 comments below:<\/em><\/p>\n Diego Lopes explains why he decided to move up to lightweight after running out of clear options at featherweight:<\/p>\n \u201cI lost twice to Volk, I won my last fight at 145, and we don\u2019t have a lot of options there right now. So we made the decision to move to 155 and take some fun\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/E40E6XjAoL<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 6, 2026<\/p>\n In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Diego Lopes added that after the UFC Freedom 250 Steve Garcia bout, he\u2019s gotten new sponsors, brand deals, and a ton of new fans, and he is loving the spotlight.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the White House fight, a couple of things changed. New sponsorships, big sponsorships, new opportunities. More people know me now\u2026. Before the fight, a couple of people knew me. Now I go somewhere, and everyone is looking at me, asking for photos\u2026 It\u2019s cool. I like it because it shows I\u2019m doing a great job. When people recognize you walking around, I\u2019m very grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Check out Diego Lopes\u2019 comments below:<\/em><\/p>\n \ud83d\udea8 DIEGO LOPES SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE FIGHT CHANGED HIS LIFE \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f \u201cAfter the White House fight, a couple of things changed. New sponsorships, big sponsorships, new opportunities. More people know me now.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f \u201cBefore the fight, a couple of people knew me. Now I go somewhere and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/AltMGJcZPm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FightLuck (@FightluckBet) October 6, 2026<\/p>\n Lopes has shown that he is willing to step up whenever the UFC needs him. He has made weight as a backup or accepted fights on short notice very frequently.<\/p>\n That being said, if he beats Charles Oliveira at UFC 335 and announces his arrival in the lightweight division with a statement win, with a couple more wins, Lopes could earn a 155-pound title shot, especially with Dana White and Hunter Campbell already knowing they can count on him.<\/p>\n (Photo by Mike Roach\/Zuffa LLC) & (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nDiego Lopes says UFC White House fight changed his life<\/h2>\n