In a surprising turn of events, a late-notice featherweight matchup between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes has been added as the co-main event for UFC 303. Ortega, ranked No. 3 in the UFC featherweight division, will face off against Lopes, the No. 14 contender in the weight class. Both fighters are coming off impressive stoppage wins in their previous fights, with Ortega defeating Yair Rodriguez and Lopes scoring a TKO victory over Sodiq Yusuff. The matchup was officially added to the pay-per-view card on June 13, with the event set to take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 29.
Ortega, with a record of 16-3-0-1, joined the UFC roster in July 2014 and has since made a name for himself with notable victories over top contenders in the featherweight division. His most recent win came against Rodriguez, where he earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus with a submission victory. Lopes, on the other hand, has only had four fights in the UFC but has shown promise with three first-round stoppage wins. With three fight-night bonus awards to his name, Lopes will look to continue his winning streak against the more experienced Ortega.
In terms of betting odds, Ortega opened as the favorite in the matchup, but Lopes has since become the -142 favorite over Ortega, who is a +120 underdog according to Draft Kings. Both fighters have impressive striking stats, with Ortega landing an average of 4.07 significant strikes per minute with a takedown defense of 57 percent, while Lopes has a higher striking accuracy at 58 percent but a lower striking rate at 3.22 per minute. Lopes has not landed a UFC takedown yet, but his takedown defense stands at 42 percent.
With Ortega’s durability and high-level grappling skills, it is predicted that he will be able to withstand Lopes’ attacks and potentially secure a victory by decision. Lopes will need to stay patient and not get too carried away if he hurts Ortega, as the latter’s resilience can be a challenge to overcome. Both fighters have their strengths and areas to improve on, making this featherweight matchup an intriguing one to watch at UFC 303.
