Diego Lopes

Diego Lopes was born on December 30, 1994, in Manaus, Brazil, and stepped onto the mats for the first time at age seven — an early start that would define the trajectory of his life. Manaus, deep in the Amazon basin, laid his foundation, but it was a leap of faith at nineteen that truly shaped the fighter and teacher he would become. Lopes left Brazil and relocated to Puebla, Mexico, moving specifically to teach jiu-jitsu in a city where he knew few people and had little in the way of resources. Rather than a temporary stop, Puebla grew into a permanent home, weaving itself into both his personal identity and his professional purpose in ways that extend far beyond competition.

Upon settling in Puebla, Lopes came under the mentorship of Francisco Grasso, a pivotal relationship that deepened his technical development and embedded him firmly within the city's grappling community. Francisco Grasso is the uncle of former UFC Women's Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso, and through this connection Lopes became linked to the broader Lobo Gym network — one of Mexico's most prominent combat sports environments.

The trust placed in Lopes by the Grasso family extended well beyond the training partnership. He serves as the grappling coach for UFC fighters Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana, two athletes who have competed at the highest levels their respective women's divisions offer. That coaching role speaks directly to the regard in which his technical expertise is held among elite UFC-level competitors.

The experience of arriving in a foreign country with little support left a lasting impression on Lopes, and it became the driving force behind one of his most meaningful contributions to Puebla. He founded Brazilian Warriors, a non-profit jiu-jitsu academy dedicated to making martial arts accessible to those who might otherwise never have the opportunity. His motivation is grounded in personal memory: "When I first started training, I had nothing. Now that I have support, sponsors and people behind me, I want to give back the things I did not have when I first started."

In mid-2026, Brazilian Warriors hosted a community seminar in Puebla for children between the ages of five and seventeen. Lopes framed the spirit of the event plainly: "We're here at Brazilian Warriors in the city of Puebla. Many who start this journey of MMA start with nothing." The seminar included giveaways of kimonos, T-shirts, hats, and gloves — made possible through sponsorship from Monster, Venum, and True Classic. The initiative reflects a long-term commitment to Puebla that exists independently of his athletic career, rooted in the belief that access to training can change trajectories.

Breaking Into the UFC

Lopes's path into the UFC was anything but straightforward. A 2021 appearance on Dana White's Contender Series ended without a contract — a setback that might have deterred a less determined competitor. He persisted, and in May 2023 he accepted a short-notice assignment at UFC 288 against Movsar Evloev, a dangerous, high-ranked featherweight. Lopes lost by decision, but the performance itself carried enough weight to earn him a UFC contract, an unusual outcome that underscored the impression he made despite the result.

Climbing to Championship Contention

What followed was a sustained run that announced him as a genuine title contender. Lopes strung together five consecutive UFC victories, three by finish, steadily climbing the featherweight rankings. The streak culminated in a shot at the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 314, where he faced Alexander Volkanovski, one of the most accomplished fighters the division has ever produced. Lopes dropped a decision in a closely watched contest, but the performance cemented his standing at 145 lbs. A rematch followed at UFC 325 the subsequent February, with Volkanovski again retaining the title. Competing in back-to-back championship fights against a fighter of Volkanovski's caliber established Lopes as one of the division's elite — a trajectory few could have predicted from his Contender Series appearance just a few years prior.

For all his MMA accomplishments, Lopes's identity as a grappler has never been peripheral — it is central to who he is as a martial artist. As of August 2026, he registered to compete at the IBJJF Master Worlds in the gi, entering the Master 1 Male Light division at 168 lbs (76 kg), a field that at the time of registration included 32 other competitors. The decision drew attention precisely because high-level MMA practitioners rarely step into structured IBJJF gi competition, where the specialized demands of sport jiu-jitsu reward years of dedicated tournament-specific preparation.

Lopes has held his black belt for years, predating the UFC chapter of his career. His return to IBJJF competition raises a compelling question: whether the grappling foundation built in Manaus and refined in Puebla translates into results against a field of athletes who have spent that same period focused exclusively on gi competition. The registration signals that following the intensity of a UFC title campaign, Lopes is drawn back to the discipline that started everything — and that he is willing to test that foundation in one of the sport's most competitive formats.

Lopes's role as a jiu-jitsu ambassador occasionally extends into spaces well outside the competitive circuit. In May 2025, he gave his first jiu-jitsu lesson to Steve Aoki, the internationally recognized American DJ and record producer. The session was highlighted by Jits Magazine as a notable crossover moment, placing elite BJJ instruction in a context visible to audiences far removed from the traditional grappling world.

The episode reflects something consistent about Lopes's approach: a willingness to carry jiu-jitsu into new environments, whether through a celebrity lesson, a children's seminar in Puebla, or a coaching role at the UFC's highest level. His reach as a black belt is not confined to any single arena.