Diego Lopes brutally turns down Movsar Evloev's callout for a short-notice fight: "You had your chance a few months ago"
Diego Lopes picked up the biggest win of his mixed martial arts career as he defeated Brian Ortega via unanimous decision to move up to third in the featherweight rankings. Meanwhile, Movsar Evloev appeared set to have the opportunity to face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 307 in a bout that many believed would have big implications for the division.
'Funk Master' recently announced that he would be forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury leaving the No. 6-ranked featherweight without an opponent. Evloev took to X on Wednesday to call for a rematch against Lopes, tweeting:
"@Diegolopesmma hey if you wanna defend your honor you have 2.5 weeks to try and get this loss off your record"
Lopes claimed he is no longer interested in the bout, claiming his former opponent missed his opportunity:
"You had your chance a few months ago when I called you to fight!! Now you sit back and watch as the bus leaves you waiting."
Check out Movsar Evloev's tweet and Diego Lopes' response below:
The pair previously clashed at UFC 288, with Lopes stepping in on five days' notice to make his promotional debut. While Evloev won the bout via unanimous decision, both fighters earned a Fight of the Night bonus. The former has rattled off five consecutive wins in the 16 months since, rising to third in the bantamweight rankings. Meanwhile, the latter will compete for just the second time since they clashed if he can find a replacement.
Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev continue to exchange words
The back-and-forth between Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev did not stop when the former turned down the opportunity for a short-notice rematch. The No.6-ranked featherweight responded by claiming that Dan Ige nearly defeated him on a few hours notice, tweeting:
"Hey Dan Ige almost beat you couple of months ago too why you are lying saying you called me out? Next time I see you maybe I give you a proper haircut because your barber is very cheap"
Lopes responded by claiming that he has continued to call Evloev out since he picked up his first UFC win:
"Brother, since my first victory in the UFC, I called you to fight. You could make excuses, that you were above me in the rankings. Since our fight, I have five victories. While you have only fought once. You were lower in the rankings. Not to mention that you have not finished anyone. 🚌🚌🚌🚌"
Check out the tweet from Movsar Evloev and Diego Lopes' response below:
It would not be smart for Lopes to fight on short notice after taking such a big leap in the rankings. It is very possible, however, that the two clash at some point down the line as the featherweight title picture remains crowded.