Diego Lopes will have more than his title opportunity loss to navigate after news of a serious injury befell the Brazilian following UFC 325.
Despite putting in an admirable performance, Lopes was unable to dethrone Alexander Volkanovski from featherweight gold on Saturday night. As he often does, Volkanovski showed his ability to disrupt his opponent inside the cage, outworking the challenger and walking away with a unanimous decision victory, as he did in their first fight almost a year ago.
The 31-year-old expected things to go much differently for him in the rematch with Volkanovski, though his performance wasn’t enough to unseat ‘The Great’ as the division’s chieftain. Coming up short for the second time for an undisputed UFC title is soul-destroying for any athlete, but a recent update on his health has added insult to injury for Lopes.
A trip to the hospital was required after Diego Lopes had allegedly broken both of his feet during his five-round clash with Alexander Volkanovski.
“Looks like we broke both feet,” Lopes said on Instagram in the aftermath of UFC 325.
Diego Lopes will now go back to the drawing board and hope to force his way back into title contention in a stacked 145 lbs division.
Given the magnitude of the loss, considering that not many fighters get the chance to compete for a UFC title for a third time, Lopes was in good spirits. His post on Instagram spoke of the highs and the lows of mixed martial arts.
Lopes ended his post with a touching tribute to his friends, with whom he has brought on his journey throughout his time competing in combat sports.
“Some nights you’re at the afterparty, some nights you’re at the ER. But every morning, I give thanks for the opportunity to live this life with my best friends.”
Looks like Diego Lopes broke both feet in his rematch with Alex Volkanovski 🦶 pic.twitter.com/6uDyQtbwRr
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) February 1, 2026
