Diego Lopes Targets 'War' Against Charles Oliveira for BMF Belt at UFC 335

Diego Lopes is scheduled to challenge Charles Oliveira for the BMF belt on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, headlining UFC 335, the promotion's final numbered card of the year. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Lopes expressed excitement about the matchup and promised to deliver the kind of high-octane action fans expect from a BMF title bout.

Oliveira claimed the belt with a dominant victory over Max Holloway in March, though his grappling-heavy game plan drew criticism from some fighters. Lopes, who has secured seven post-fight bonuses across his 10 UFC appearances, hopes Oliveira—the all-time bonus leader in UFC history—comes in aggressively to make a statement. Lopes emphasized that he feels no pressure to change his approach, noting that whenever both fighters are willing to engage, a real war is guaranteed.

The road to the lightweight bout involved several shifts in matchmaking. The UFC initially explored booking Lopes against Benoit Saint Denis for UFC 344 at Madison Square Garden after Salahdine Parnasse signed to fight Dan Hooker. Ultimately, shortly after Mauricio Ruffy stepped up to face Arman Tsarukyan in September, the promotion offered Lopes the BMF title headliner against Oliveira.

Despite having faced elite contenders such as Alexander Volkanovski, Movsar Evloev, Jean Silva, and Brian Ortega, Lopes labeled Oliveira as his toughest career matchup. He highlighted Oliveira's dangerous finishing ability on the feet and on the mat, whether working from the top or bottom, and noted that he is training specifically to avoid errors and secure the victory rather than merely trying to survive on the ground.