Tensions boiled over between featherweight contenders Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopes during the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference, as the two nearly came to blows in a fiery back-and-forth that stunned fans and media alike.
The incident occurred during a routine Q&A session at UFC pre-fight conference, but things escalated quickly when Lopes was asked if he’d be willing to face Rodriguez at UFC Mexico should he win the title. His response struck a nerve.
“How many consecutive losses does he have? How many? Two? That’s not enough for a title fight,” Lopes said, throwing shade at Rodriguez’s recent record.
Rodriguez didn’t take kindly to the jab. Visibly enraged, he grabbed the microphone and launched into an emotional tirade aimed straight at Lopes.
“P*ssy! Didn’t you and your team jump Marco [Beltran]? Didn’t you jump him with your whole crew? Yes or no? I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you this to your fcking face. You’re going to pay for Marco!”
Lopes fired back immediately, shouting through the commotion with help from UFC translator Fabiano Buskei:
“Say it to my face! You want to fight me? Don’t talk about my team!”
Security was quickly called in to separate the fighters as they continued exchanging words in Spanish, with both men refusing to back down. The tension lingered even after the press conference officially ended. During the customary faceoffs, Lopes and Rodriguez appeared to attempt a handshake but within seconds, the shouting resumed, prompting security to intervene once again and physically pull Lopes away.
What started as a promotional press event turned into a personal grudge match in the making, leaving fans buzzing about a potential future clash between the two featherweights.
