The highly anticipated featherweight clash between Diego Lopes and Jean Silva has officially been confirmed as the main event for the third annual Noche UFC. Scheduled to take place on September 13, the MMA event will be hosted at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX.
Diego Lopes (26-7), a recent title challenger, is eager to bounce back after suffering a unanimous decision defeat to reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski in his previous fight, which ended a five-fight winning streak. This matchup presents Lopes with a crucial opportunity to reclaim his momentum in the featherweight division.
On the other hand, Jean Silva (16-2) continues to make strides in his career, aiming for an impressive 14th consecutive victory. After achieving a submission win over Bryce Mitchell in April, he also claimed a first-round stoppage against Melsik Baghdasaryan earlier this year.
Additionally, the UFC has announced a pair of exciting first matchups for UFC Fight Night, set to take place two weekends before Noche UFC, on August 23. This event marks the promotion’s return to China and will be held at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium.
In a light heavyweight bout, Brazilian fighter Johnny Walker (21-9, 1 NC) will face Zhang Mingyang (19-6) from China. Walker is looking to recover from consecutive knockout losses last year, while Mingyang comes off a first-round stoppage victory against Anthony Smith. The bantamweight showdown between Brian Ortega (16-4, 1 NC) and Aljamain Sterling (24-5) also adds excitement to the card, as both fighters seek to rebound from their last losses.
With more matchups expected to be confirmed across both events, fans can look forward to a thrilling September filled with high-stakes action in the UFC.