The featherweight division of the UFC went through chaotic jumbles in the past few weeks. The Las Vegas-based promotion suffered huge blows leading up to its latest pay-per-view offering on May 6. One such fighter that has stepped in on short notice for a main card bout is the Russian stalwart Movsar Evloev.
Initially, fan-favorite Bryce Mitchell looked to lock horns with Jonathan Pearce. However, Pearce pulling out due to an injury left Mitchell with no opponent for a good while. Fortunately, Movsar stepped in to face Mitchell, a fight that was supposed to happen in November of last year. However, just days away from the night, Bryce pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.
More featherweight action on the way 🔥@MovsarUFC vs @DiegoLopesMMA up next on the #UFC288 main card!
[ Order the @ESPNPlus PPV: https://t.co/ZDDxUDJwAA ] pic.twitter.com/tVl4s0lQuN
— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2023
Luckily, UFC president Dana White announced that a fighter named Diego Lopes will step in on 5 days’ notice while making his promotional debut at the same time. The 28-year-old came into this fight with a record of 21-5. Whereas Movsar has been riding a 16-fight win streak, 6 out of which occurred under the UFC banner.
Movsar Evloev beats Diego Lopes via unanimous decision
The first round started with both fighters in an orthodox stance. Fans immediately realized that Diego is not a small man, compared to Evloev’s stature. Soon after, the duo started trading low kicks early and got things going. While Evloev appeared to get this timing right during the entire round, Lopes started putting his striking prowess and ground game on display.
The 28-year-old had a huge moment with an overhand right, landing clean on the Russian. After getting Evloev on the ground, Lopes had not one but two huge moments. One with an armbar attempt, which would have almost snapped Movsar’s 16-fight win streak. and the other with a triangle attempt, both of which Movsar had a narrow escape with.
STILL UNDEFEATED 😤@MovsarUFC moves to 17-0 with the decision win at #UFC288! pic.twitter.com/2LXc6KGNzY
— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2023
The 2nd round saw Movsar with much more success than his counterpart. It appeared as if he has perfectly found his rhythm now. The Russian started to use his jab and right hand more, with Lopes appearing visibly gassed out. Despite being his first fight in the promotion, Diego sure did show he has heart and can stand with an elite like Movsar.
UFC President Dana White congratulated Diego Lopes after the fight: “you lost nothing tonight”.
The Brazilian took his first fight in the promotion with five day notice against a Top 10 opponent in Movsar Evloev. #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/unPzOSydQn
— Carlos Contreras Legaspi (@CCLegaspi) May 7, 2023
Movsar kept re-posturing while smashing the newcomer from different angles. In this 3rd and final round, Lopes seemingly gained more confidence as he started showing a good counter game against the Russian fighter. Much like the first round, fans saw two submission attempts from Diego. Lopes had his opponent in huge trouble with a kimura attempt, one which Movsar barely survived.
The round ended with a kneebar attempt from the debuting athlete, hyping up the fans in attendance and around the world.
Was Diego Lopes robbed against Movsar Evloev at UFC 288?
Movsar Evloev has now successfully navigated a dicey opening stanza to continue his unbeaten streak and extend his perfect record to 17-0. The huge win over Diego Lopes did seem to attract some heat from the MMA community in a fight that appeared closer than it may have actually been.
As per the UFC stats, Movsar landed 183 out of 228 strikes attempt, whereas, Diego landed 48 out of his 82 attempts. In terms of significant strikes, the Russian landed 88 out of his 129 attempts. Lopes, on the other hand, landed 37 out of his 69 attempts. Movsar secured 4 out of 7 takedowns, while Lopes secured none. However, the debuting fighter did have 4 submission attempts.
As per the judges’ scorecards, Derek Cleary was the only judge who gave the first round to Lopes. He ended up scoring the 2nd and 3rd rounds for the undefeated Russian. His peer, Eric Colon gave the first two rounds to Movsar while scoring the final round for the debuting Diego.
#UFC288 Official Scorecard: Movsar Evloev (@MovsarUFC) vs Diego Lopes 👇
All Tonight’s Scorecards➡️: https://t.co/NwuseKRMCj pic.twitter.com/vpUkT9T9cW
— UFC News (@UFCNews) May 7, 2023
David Tirelli appeared to be the only judge amongst the three who scored all three rounds for Evloev from the beginning. While both athletes had their moments, it was Movsar who walked out of the Octagon with the win. However, Lopes only gained a huge fanbase as he showed heart, grit, and the required toughness to not only hang with an elite fighter but also have him in trouble on several occasions.