“If you ask me, if you’re in my position right now, the beef can stay aside for now. The only thing that I’m looking for right now is fighting for that belt.” Yair Rodriguez seemed to cool down the fiery tension between him and Diego Lopes, a scuffle that exploded during the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference. At first, it felt like just another heated exchange in the fight game. But as the story unfolded, it became clear: this wasn’t your typical pre-fight trash talk. The feud between Rodriguez and Lopes runs way deeper!
At the Miami PPV press conference, the Brazilian title challenger rubbished a reporter’s question about fighting Rodriguez and ridiculed his recent losing skid. And safe to say that ‘El Pantera’ didn’t hold back. He tore into Diego Lopes with raw emotion, shouting, “P—ssy. Didn’t you jump Marco between you and your team? Didn’t you jump Marco with your team? Yes or no? I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you this to your f— face. You’re going to pay for Marco.” For the unversed, Marco Beltran is Rodriguez’s close friend and the real source of his fury.
Moreover, he isn’t some unknown name. The Mexican veteran has gone against big names like Deiveson Figueiredo, Matt Schnell, and Marlon Vera. But it was his clash with Lopes at Lux Fight League 7 that lit the fuse. In that fight, Beltran was submitted with a nasty heel hook. Rodriguez also sat down with Ariel Helwani on The Ariel Helwani Show where he briefly touched on the situation. While he held back from diving into too many details, possibly because things stretch beyond just MMA.
However, one thing was clear. The former interim champ was determined to get payback for his friend by defeating Diego Lopes in a personal grudge match. “I don’t have to talk about any of that because it’s not my job to talk about that. I was just fired up in the moment because he was like bringing up that I was coming from a loss, when I always have stayed respectful to him and even we met in past. We took pictures together like I’m cool with you. But, I won’t stand disrespect like that. I was thinking, that whenever the time comes to fight Diego, I’ll take care of that inside the Octagon, as I’m supposed to for my friend, Marco Beltran. I told Marco, don’t worry about it, I’ll fu—-g take care of that. I’ll fu—-g beat him for you man, I promise you.”
Yair Rodriguez is asked about Diego Lopes.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/hrEVwfAwwC
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 14, 2025
The UFC is no stranger to grudge matches. From Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs. Rashad Evans to Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal, and of course, Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov bad blood has always fueled some of the promotion’s biggest showdowns. Now, Yair Rodriguez vs. Diego Lopes seems to be heading down that same path. While many of those rivalries eventually cooled off, some still simmer to this day. It’s hard to predict where it’ll go or how the UFC plans to square up these two featherweights. Many things are still waiting to be revealed!
What’s truly revealed right now is ‘El Pantera’s dream of fighting for the championship as soon as possible. He’s setting his sights on the UFC’s upcoming event in Guadalajara, Mexico, a location he believes could give featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski the most trouble. For Rodriguez, that would be the perfect stage for redemption and the shot he’s been chasing.
Yair Rodriguez targets Alexander Volkanovski fight at UFC 320 in Mexico
Brandon Moreno and the Mexican fighters lit up the home crowd with standout performances at CDMX Arena in Mexico City. Now, Yair Rodriguez wants his moment on home soil. He’s eyeing UFC 320 at Arena Guadalajara as the perfect opportunity to redeem his loss against Alexander Volkanovski. Like Mexico City, Guadalajara sits at a high altitude something ‘El Pantera’ believes could be a game-changer. In his mind, if the fight gets booked there, he’s confident that the elevation could be the edge he needs to finally take down the featherweight champ.
For the unversed, the Mexican fell short of claiming the title at UFC 290 and was soundly beaten by the Aussie juggernaut. At the UFC 314 post-fight press conference, Rodriguez said, “Brother, Volkanovski has fights all over around the world, He hasn’t fought in Mexico. Guadalajara isn’t super high elevation. I think it makes sense for the UFC to bring a huge event, a numbered event in Guadalajara. I think Volkanovski will be able to run it back with me. Think he will be happy to do that.”
Will Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopes’ rivalry take an ugly turn? Please comment below.
The post Diego Lopes & Yair Rodriguez Beef Cleared Up As UFC Star Reveals ‘Promise’ To Avenge His Friend’s Humiliation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
