Lopes ends Silva's winning streak with TKO at Noche UFC

Fan favorite Diego Lopes handed Jean Silva his first UFC loss in an epic main event Saturday at Noche UFC in San Antonio, Texas.

Lopes came out aggressively from the start and ended the fight via TKO with a spinning back elbow in the second round.

Lopes, who hails from Brazil but resides in Mexico, received a warm reception from the Texas crowd as he made his walk to the Octagon. He appeared to be on the verge of victory in the first round, getting Silva to the ground and busting him open with a series of shots to the head. However, Silva managed to escape and extend the fight, though his luck ran out in Round 2.

Despite connecting on a series of blows delivered to Lopes, Silva got caught with an elbow that dropped him and eventually led to the referee calling for a stoppage. Silva shoved Lopes after the fight ended.

Saturday's win was a step back on track for Lopes, who lost to Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant featherweight title in his last fight. The defeat snapped a five-fight win streak for Lopes.

Silva's loss to Lopes marks his first MMA defeat since April 2018. The 28-year-old entered Saturday's event with a 5-0 record in UFC since earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023.