Diego Lopes wanted to make a statement in the featherweight division. And while he didn’t get a finish despite it looking like he was close, he can consider the mission accomplished at UFC 306.

Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) defeated former title contender Brian Ortega (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) to complete a convincing unanimous sweep of all scorecards, including a 30-26, on the UFC 306 main card at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Lopes had injured Ortega in the first round and threw it at him. But with a chance to get Ortega back on his feet, the Brazilian opted to keep most of the fight on the canvas. That gave Ortega a chance to survive the first round when his belt was extended by referee Jason Herzog.

While Ortega held his own and remained largely out of danger for the final 10 minutes, it was a tall order for Lopes to earn his fifth straight victory and move into contention in the UFC’s 145-pound division.

The most recent UFC 306 results include:

• Diego Lopes defeats Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Esteban Ribovics defeats Daniel Zellhuber via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Ronaldo Rodriguez defeats Ode Osbourne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Norma Dumont def. Irene Aldana via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Ignacio Bahamondes def. Manuel Torres via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:02
• Ketlen Souza def. Yazmin Jauregui via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:02
• Joshua Van defeats Edgar Chairez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Raul Rosas Jr. def. Aori Qileng via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 306 event hub.