Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez had some heated altercations through the remaining press convention previous to UFC 314 in April, and it seems the promotion was aiming to guide them up for a featherweight conflict at this 12 months’s Noche UFC occasion.
UFC 320, also referred to as Noche UFC 3, was anticipated to happen in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 13. Nevertheless, as a consequence 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 submit that Rodriguez turned down a proposal to face him on the Sept. 13 present.
“Hey, Yair Rodríguez, I simply realized that you just 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 through 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 proposal 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 effectively, as all the time, this rattling sport is absolutely arduous, actually. I’d find it irresistible—I actually would find it irresistible—if issues have been a bit totally different, as a result of the whole lot has was a circus. Truthfully. I noticed someplace that {that a}****** Diego Lopes is saying I don’t need to combat him, and that’s completely not the case. Truthfully, I used to be a little bit dissatisfied with the UFC for the truth that they supplied me a combat with him as a result of yeah, they did lately 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 downside combating him. In the event you ask me, I’d fairly combat him within the rattling avenue, 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 likewise take care of an harm for which a physician advisable surgical procedure.
“Clearly, I’m doing the whole lot I can to keep away from that being the case,” Rodriguez mentioned. “However hey, we’ll see the place this entire scenario 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 staff that’s sitting round over there. And that’s it, proper? Simply need folks to grasp my place, as a result of clearly they’re beginning to go on the assault, and effectively—as all the time—attacking somebody after they’re down, after they’re damage, is actual simple. Proper? However anyway, that’s that. I’m going to first test on my well being, see if I can keep away from surgical procedure as a lot as attainable. If not, effectively, I’ll must undergo with it.”
Within the meantime, Rodriguez suggested Lopes to guide 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 operating away from Jean Silva and go take a swing at him,” Rodriguez mentioned. “If he’s so anticipating a combat, then go throw down with Jean Silva, as a result of it seems to be like he’s ducking him. And effectively, I’m nonetheless right here. Ready to see what they inform me.”
Lopes fired again with one other submit 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 principle occasion of UFC Mexico in February. I had accepted, whilst you have been simply going round in circles. The UFC modified plans and known 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.”
