Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez had some heated altercations throughout the ultimate press convention previous to UFC 314 in April, and it seems the promotion was aiming to ebook them up for a featherweight conflict at this yr’s Noche UFC occasion.
UFC 320, often known as Noche UFC 3, was anticipated to happen in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 13. Nevertheless, on account of constructions delays with the Guadalajara venue, UFC 320 was moved to Oct. 4 in Las Vegas and the Sept. 13 Noche UFC occasion is now set for San Antonio. On Sunday, Lopes claimed in a social media publish that Rodriguez turned down a suggestion to face him on the Sept. 13 present.
“Hey, Yair Rodríguez, I simply realized that you simply obtained a name from Hunter [Campbell] and refused to combat me at Noche UFC,” Lopes wrote in Spanish. “The place is the person who was in entrance of me on the press convention?”
Lopes was days away from difficult Alexander Volkanovski for the vacant title, a combat he misplaced by way of determination. Rodriguez defeated former Bellator two-division champion Patricio Pitbull on that very same card and hoped he can be subsequent for Volkanovski.
Rodriguez launched a video hours after Lopes’ feedback with a response, through which he confirmed he was approached with a suggestion and defined why “that doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Proper now I’m on the best way to help Ignacio Bajamondes in his subsequent combat, I’m heading to Baku,” Rodriguez mentioned, “and properly, as at all times, this rattling sport is de facto laborious, actually. I’d like it—I actually would like it—if issues have been a bit totally different, as a result of all the things has became a circus. Truthfully. I noticed someplace that {that a}****** Diego Lopes is saying I don’t wish to combat him, and that’s completely not the case. Truthfully, I used to be a bit of dissatisfied with the UFC for the truth that they supplied me a combat with him as a result of yeah, they did not too long ago supply me that combat.
“Let’s rewind a bit. What occurred? After I had the chance to combat Diego, he mentioned no as a result of I used to be coming off a loss. Now he’s coming off a loss and needs to combat me. That doesn’t make sense to me. That’s one factor. One other factor is, clearly, I’ve obtained no drawback combating him. If you happen to ask me, I’d quite combat him within the rattling road, as a result of for me, a combat with him within the firm doesn’t do something. They’re not going to pay me extra. It doesn’t do a rattling factor. It doesn’t put me in a greater place both as a result of he’s coming off a loss.”
On high of that, Rodriguez, a one-time UFC interim featherweight titleholder, revealed he must renew his visa to enter the US, and in addition cope with an harm for which a physician beneficial surgical procedure.
“Clearly, I’m doing all the things I can to keep away from that being the case,” Rodriguez mentioned. “However hey, we’ll see the place this entire state of affairs takes me—to make clear, that’s my place. I haven’t turned down the combat. Quite the opposite, I’d be more than pleased to combat this little piece of shit and his entire shitty workforce that’s sitting round over there. And that’s it, proper? Simply need individuals to know my place, as a result of clearly they’re beginning to go on the assault, and properly—as at all times—attacking somebody after they’re down, after they’re harm, is actual straightforward. Proper? However anyway, that’s that. I’m going to first examine on my well being, see if I can keep away from surgical procedure as a lot as attainable. If not, properly, I’ll need to undergo with it.”
Within the meantime, Rodriguez suggested Lopes to ebook a combat with rising featherweight sensation Jean Silva, who destroyed Bryce Mitchell on the identical card in Miami.
“For now, I’d wish to see Diego cease working away from Jean Silva and go take a swing at him,” Rodriguez mentioned. “If he’s so longing for a combat, then go throw down with Jean Silva, as a result of it appears to be like like he’s ducking him. And properly, I’m nonetheless right here. Ready to see what they inform me.”
Lopes fired again with one other publish on social media moments later, debunking the declare that he has turned down a earlier UFC combat with the Mexican star.
“What a silly factor to say I refused to combat,” Lopes wrote on Instagram Tales. “The combat was already scheduled to be the primary occasion of UFC Mexico in February. I had accepted, when you have been simply going round in circles. The UFC modified plans and referred to as me to combat for the title. Preventing on the street? No, bro, I don’t suggest that. I’m too calm as a result of I do know what I’m able to. It’s higher to have a referee concerned.”
“Let’s get to the details,” he added on a separate post on X. “After the combat in opposition to Volk, the UFC contacted me asking how my well being was. I instructed all of them the suggestions the medical doctors gave me. That I’d be able to combat in September. They supplied Aaron Pico, I mentioned sure. Two days later, they supplied me Jean Silva, I mentioned sure. When the UFC strikes the UFC night time to Santo Antonio. Yair Rodriguez, I mentioned sure. I additionally prompt providing the combat in opposition to Movsar [Evloev] or Lerone [Murphy]. When you’ve got any doubts, ask Dana, Hunter, or Sean if I’ve ever turned down a combat. The day I flip down or don’t settle for a combat, it needs to be due to a really severe well being difficulty or as a result of I’m actually unable to combat. My profession was constructed on accepting fights; I’ve 32 skilled fights for a cause.”
