Brian Ortega — a seasoned fighter with an illustrious past — found himself in an unexpected position tonight (Sat., Sept. 14, 2024) when he crossed swords with the red-hot Featherweight prospect, Diego Lopesat UFC 306 from The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After narrowly missing out on the UFC featherweight title, Ortega was seen as a stepping stone for Lopes, a rising star who took a big step forward against “T-City” under unusual circumstances. When Conor McGregorThe broken pinky toe caused him to be pulled from UFC 303 (really), but Ortega and Lopes stepped in to save the event.

However, Ortega was unable to make the weight drop in time, causing the fight to be postponed… until now.

And now they were here—the stage was set for a clash of generations. Ortega, the veteran warrior, fighting to preserve his legacy. Lopes, the hungry newcomer, fighting for a better future.

The stakes were high and eventually something had to give. And when the chaotic dust finally settled, it was youth over experience, with Lopes taking a very impressive unanimous decision victory over a proven veteran.

Lopes started off incredibly well, drilling Ortega with a beautiful combination that left “T-City” stunned. He eventually landed on the ground along the cage as he retreated. Lopes took a deep breath, not wanting to get too excited. However, he played a dangerous game with Ortega on the ground for a minute or so, allowing him to recover and play off his back foot by foot. Eventually, Lopes made the smart decision and let him get back up, blood dripping from his left eye. Ortega seemed to gain the upper hand early on, however, with Lopes ducking under a left cross and landing a solid counter combination as the opening frame drew to a close.

Lopes landed a similarly slick combination to start the second stanza, but Ortega carried it well this time, landing a nice right hook moments later. Ortega attempted a takedown about 90 seconds in, but Lopes easily retracted his foot and drilled him with several hard blows. Nice straight left hand from Ortega, who took a headbutt moments later. Overhand right from Lopes, then swept Ortega off his feet with a hard leg jab — a strategy he often resorted to. Another hard kick from Lopes, who often caught his Adam’s apple after each strike, perhaps signaling that something was amiss.

Between rounds, Ortega’s corner informed him that he needed a finish if he wanted to win — a familiar spot for the Mexican fighter, who has a history of epic come-from-behind finishes. The third round was a more evenly matched, back-and-forth affair with Ortega leading the dance. Lopes was a more than willing dance partner, firing back in the center of the Octagon. Lopes ultimately seemed to have the better of the exchanges toward the end, putting on a very fine display of skill, toughness and intelligence, despite what Joe Rogan — a biased Ortega marker — wanted to say on the broadcast. Lopes proceeded to knock Ortega down one more time en route to a fantastic — and important — unanimous decision victory.

Title fight in 2025?

Final Result: Lopes defeats Ortega via unanimous decision

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