MMA Junkie’s 2023 Newcomer of the Year: Diego Lopes

Let’s be sincere: A 2-1 file within the UFC is way from outstanding. But, Diego Lopes someway made it work into one thing particular and fairly promising.

The Brazilian featherweight enamored the MMA world in simply three UFC fights in 2023. Outcomes and information in MMA are often indicative of success or failure, but, for Lopes (23-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), these markers don’t inform his full story from the previous 12 months.

Maybe Lopes’ largest win got here wrapped as an official defeat. At UFC 288 in Might, a key featherweight bout pitting ranked, rising contenders Movsar Evloev and Bryce Mitchell was scheduled to go down on the primary card. However 4 days away from the struggle, Mitchell was pressured out and a principally unknown Lopes, who had misplaced on Dana White’s Contender Collection two years prior, received the decision to fill in as substitute.

To many, and with out fault, Lopes was only a physique – a regional fighter who accepted a default loss simply to get entry into the UFC. However that wasn’t what Lopes needed his reality to be, and he made certain to let folks know.

In a stunning and enjoyable flip of occasions, Lopes gave Evloev by far the hardest struggle of his UFC profession and got here near taking the undefeated file from the extremely touted Russian title contender. Lopes was in assault mode for the total quarter-hour. Submission try after submission try, Lopes had Evloev preventing for his proverbial life. In the long run, Evloev received his hand raised, however the struggle world was much more impressed with what Lopes did that night time. With just some days’ discover, Lopes made weight and gave a troublesome struggle to an unbeaten top-10 opponent – one thing no different UFC fighter had performed prior.

Lopes additionally took house an additional $50,000 for his half within the Struggle of the Evening winner – and top-of-the-line fights of 2023. That was a win – unofficially, anyway.

Lopes’ failed UFC debut created the bottom for his hype, however he needed to again it up.

The Lobo Fitness center fighter and coach returned three months later and wanted simply 98 seconds to submit Gavin Tucker on the primary card of UFC on ESPN 50. Lopes gained one other $50,000 bonus for his masterful armbar end.

Then in a fast return in November, Lopes opened up the pay-per-view most important card of UFC 295 at Madison Sq. Backyard towards Pat Sabatini, who was 5-1 within the promotion. It was an enormous second for the prospect, and once more, Lopes delivered one other first-round Efficiency of the Evening end with a knockout of Sabatini in 90 seconds.

The hype was actual. The wild and shut defeat to Evloev was no flash within the pan. Lopes proved in his subsequent fights that not solely was he UFC prepared, however he is also a must-watch menace.

Different components peripheral to Lopes’ in-cage performances additionally contributed to his affect in 2023, together with some wonderful hair, a playful social media presence and being a part of the workforce that led to the the largest upset of 2023: Alexa Grasso’s submission of Valentina Shevchenko to develop into the UFC’s girls’s flyweight champion.

For a fighter who’s simply 2-1 within the UFC, Diego Lopes has had an enormous impression on the MMA world. That’s why he’s MMA Junkie’s 2023 Newcomer of the 12 months.