Lopes batters Ortega for biggest win of career

Diego Lopes rose to featherweight title contention with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega at UFC 306 on Saturday night at Sphere in Las Vegas.

The judges scored the fight 30-26, 30-27, and 30-27.

Lopes and Ortega were ranked No. 12 and No. 3, respectively, heading into the matchup.

Lopes made a statement to open the bout by dropping Ortega with a barrage of punches in the first minute. Lopes got on top of Ortega and landed heavy elbows and other ground-and-pound shots. Ortega survived the onslaught and tried to lock in a triangle choke but was unsuccessful.

The second and third rounds were more competitive, but Lopes still controlled the fight in the stand-up department by staying busier and landing heavier shots. Lopes landed a number of kicks that took a toll on his opponent.

He stuffed an Ortega takedown attempt midway through the third round and finished the fight by landing a flurry of punches that bloodied Ortega's face.

Lopes is now riding a five-fight winning streak after scoring his fourth victory in the last 10 months. The 29-year-old Brazilian, who resides in Mexico, has only lost once in the UFC: in his debut with the promotion against Movsar Evloev in May 2023. Lopes is likely just one win away from a title shot after taking out the No. 3-ranked contender.

Ortega was coming off a submission win over Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City in February, which was his first Octagon appearance in nearly two years. Ortega, a former 145-pound title challenger, is 1-3 in his last four bouts dating back to 2021.