Lopes makes this list because I — and likely innumerable others — have been dying to see him back in action since his short-notice effort against Movsar Evloev at UFC 288.
The Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) alum stepped in on incredibly short notice to face the unbeaten Russian in Newark, and then proceeded to give him everything he could handle, coming out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict, but elevating his stock immeasurably in the process. Now with a full training camp behind him, the 28-year-old Brazilian returns to take on Gavin Tucker in an intriguing featherweight pairing that should give everyone a better understanding of where Lopes fits in the division at the moment and his prospects going forward.
What has always stood out about Lopes is his aggressive nature and attacking style, and we saw that against Evloev. In that fight and countless others, he came out pressing the action, and even when he ended up on his back, the Lobo Gym and Brazilian Warriors representative was getting off offense and looking for submission opportunities. He never gave Evloev a moment to rest, constantly forcing him to defend and be careful with his shot selection, succumbing to the torrid pace and non-stop grappling later in the fight.
UFC Month In Review: July 2023
The 37-year-old Tucker is returning for the first time in more than two years, having last competed in March 2021 when he was quickly knocked out by Dan Ige. Prior to that, the Newfoundland native had posted three straight wins to position himself on the doorstep of the Top 15 in the featherweight ranks, which makes him a good test for Lopes in his first full-camp UFC appearance.
While he came up short in his DWCS appearance, that loss — by technical decision after an accidental eye poke halted the action in the third — came against Joanderson Brito, who has gone on to have a great deal of success inside the Octagon. Lopes is surrounded by excellent training partners and coaches, and should be buoyed by the effort he turned in against Evloev earlier this year.
Should he come out and cruise against Tucker, a date with another Top 15 opponent towards the end of the year shouldn’t be out of the question.
