Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight finishers Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva will go to war TONIGHT (Sat., Sept. 13, 2025) at Noche UFC 3 inside Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

There were some issues and flaws in Lopes’ title performance against Alexander Volkanovski, most notably an inability to cut off the cage and track down the former (and current) Featherweight kingpin. It must be said, however, that Lopes still managed to floor “The Great” twice and came reasonably close to capturing gold. He’s just a few minor adjustments from the championship, even as he enters this main event slot as an underdog. “Lord” is a vicious knockout artist who never seems bothered by his opponent’s offense, and he’s quickly put together a five-fight finish streak inside the Octagon. This is a major step up in competition, but thus far, Silva has proven himself capable of competing with the best.

Lopes is an all-action fighter who’s dangerous everywhere. His best offense on the feet comes from close quarters, particularly when breaking the clinch with big swings. On the canvas, Lopes is an outstanding grappler, capable of locking up quick submissions and forcing his opponents onto the defensive even from bottom position. In this bout, Lopes faces an interesting dynamic of range. On one hand, he’s the taller and longer fighter, and Lopes certainly has a nasty 1-2 that could capitalize on that length. At the same time, I would argue Silva is actually the more fluid range striker, so standing at distance and getting blasted by kicks and counters might not behoove the former title challenger. To help mitigate some of that smoothness, Lopes needs to feint and chop the lead leg. Silva stands wide, so if Lopes can get him pulling back just a bit, he can looking to chop into the calf. A few low kicks could slow Silva’s explosion and leave him more stationary for that 1-2. Both men are very destructive in the clinch, so there’s danger there for both athletes. Still, given Lopes’ likely advantage on the ground, it might be worth trying to press into the clinch with strikes then change levels with a double-leg shot.