Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes at UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche UFC at The Sphere | Preview & Prediction
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We have a big match-up in the UFC’s featherweight division as number three ranked Brian Ortega is tasked with fighting the surging Diego Lopes at UFC 306
BRIAN ORTEGA VS DIEGO LOPES FACTS
When is UFC 306? UK – the early preliminary card starts at 12:30am on Sunday 15th September 2024, followed by the preliminary card at 1:00am and then main card at 3:00am / USA – 7:30pm/8:00pm/10:00pm ET and 4:30pm/5:00pm/7:00pm PT (both Saturday 14th September)
Where is UFC 306? Sphere, Las Vegas, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC 306? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 306
What TV channel is UFC 306 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 306? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC 306 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
UFC 306 MAIN CARD EVENT
Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili (Bantamweight)
Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko (Women’s Flyweight)
Brian Ortega vs Diego Lopes (Featherweight)
Daniel Zellhuber vs Esteban Ribovics (Lightweight)
Ronaldo Rodriguez vs Ode’ Osbourne (Flyweight)
UFC 306 Prelims
Irene Aldana vs Norma Dumont (Women’s Bantamweight)
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Manuel Torres (Lightweight)
Yazmin Jauregui vs Ketlen Souza (Women’s Strawweight)
Edgar Chairez vs Joshua Van (Flyweight)
Raul Rosas Jr. vs Aori Qileng (Bantamweight)
BRIAN ORTEGA: FRESH OFF PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT WIN, ORTEGA LOOKING TO GET BACK IN TITLE SHOT PICTURE
Brian Ortega (16-3 with one no contest) comes into this fight at UFC 306 with the fighter with most to lose as the number-three ranked fighter needs to win to stay within touching distance of another title shot in the featherweight division.
After losing a unanimous decision to champion Alexander Volkanovski, Ortega then lost to Yair Rodriguez after suffering a dislocated shoulder but the way he bounced back and won the rematch in with a Performance of the night submission win, was highly impressive.
While on one hand his record will show he has lost three of his last five bouts, Ortega is getting better with age and is far from one of those UFC veterans that is sliding.
DIEGO LOPES: SURGING BRAZILIAN AIMING FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE WIN
Diego Lopes is one of those surging fighters in the featherweight division and the 29-year-old Brazilian has now won four fights in a row. He comes off a decision win over Dan Ige in June and his confidence is sky high.
He brings a 25-6 record into this bout but his resume does not possess nowhere near the same quality of opponent as Ortega’s. He has however some real momentum behind him at the moment and this will be his fifth fight in less than 14 months.
BRIAN ORTEGA VS DIEGO LOPES PREDICTION
This bout was supposed to take place at UFC 303 in June but Ortega was forced to withdraw with Ortega struggling to make the weight and then being forced to withdraw after suffering illness. That highlights one of the areas that leans in Lopes’ favour coming into this bout as he has been super active while Ortega has only had four fights since December 2018. That has to be a concern.
That said, Ortega showed zero rust in a stunning performance to beat Yair Rodriguez in February and he did push champ Volkanovski to points in his title shot back in September 2021.
He has had ample time to prepare for this fight and our assumption is that we will see a fully fit Ortega as he so often withdraws from bouts if he is not right. He cannot be complacent however if he is to remain so high in the rankings but the prestige around this huge event should avoid any risk of that.
Lopes is flying with confidence and has impressed with the manner of some of his wins in recent times. We just do not think he is in the same league as Ortega when both are at their best. We favour Ortega, who is surprisingly underdog here, to get the win.
PREDICTION: BRIAN ORTEGA TO WIN
