Diego Lopez didn’t win the featherweight title at UFC 314 on Saturday, but after five rounds with the biggest 145-pound fighter in history with Alexander Volkanovsky, he’s embarrassed and not hanging his head.
Less than two years after his Octagon debut, Lopez hit his first main event, giving Volkanovsky everything he could handle in five rounds. Lopez scored a lot of big shots, but in the end he was short on scorecards, and the judges gave Volkanovsky a fight after finishing 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.
On Sunday, Lopez issued a short statement on social media.
“I always hold my head high and have a smile on my face,” Lopez said. “Last night was short. I’ve failed a few things. I’ll go back to work, improve, fix your mistakes, move on. I’ll thank you for your support. I always say, ‘Nothing happens.’
Lopez’s performance certainly wasn’t embarrassing after he made history as a fighter over 35 and won the title in the UFC’s under 155 pound division.
Lopez seemed to have gotten off to a slightly slower start in the opening round. This is unusual in his offensive, action-packed style, but he cut out Volkanovsky with a hard punch before turning things around in the second stanza, knocking him to the ground temporarily.
From there, Lopez was constantly fighting Volkanovsky in every inch in the cage. He landed a bunch of big shots, as evidenced by the slapded faces of the Australians when the fight was over.
Still, Lopez was short on scorecards, but he paid tribute to Volkanovsky for his well done work in his postwar interview with the Octagon.
“It was an honor to share the Octagon with a guy like Alexander Volkanovsky,” Lopez said. “But I’m coming back. This is someone who’s very experienced in the UFC. I can see myself coming. I’m getting better, I’m coming back and become a champion.”