The last 24 hours in the MMA world have been interesting, and in case you’ve missed the most noteworthy moments, we have got you covered. Welcome to the newest edition of the daily roundup to keep up with the biggest stories in our favorite sport. To kick this one off, we’ll look at featherweight title contender Diego Lopes, who revealed some information ahead of his UFC 314 clash against former kingpin Alexander Volkanovski.
To follow up on the previous story, we’ll talk about Dana White‘s surprising act that left a flyweight fighter lost for words. Finally, we will end this roundup with Alex Pereira, who shared his honest thoughts about light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev. So, let’s dive in without any delay!
Diego Lopes makes a brave promise to his family
UFC 314 is perhaps the biggest opportunity in Diego Lopes’ career. The featherweight star has been one of the most exciting fighters in Dana White’s promotion. The Brazilian is the kind who promises to show up and show out in every one of his fights. While that’s a promise to his fans, the 30-year-old also made a promise to his family. And it is safe to say that it is indeed a blueprint of the courage Lopes carries in his heart.
The featherweight star revealed that his goal to make it to the UFC led him to drop out of school. Naturally, this put his family in a worrying state. However, a determined Lopes pursued what he wanted and decided to leave home anyway. But there was a catch! The catch was that the 30-year-old promised his family, including his siblings, that he would return only when he had made enough to turn their lives around. Talk about grit!
“I never said I was going to come back, but I remember perfectly some words I said to my mom and dad, and especially to my siblings since we’re a very close family,” Diego Lopes told ESPN’s CC Legaspi. “I said, ‘I’m going there and I only want to come back and see you when I can provide a better life for you.’ And I think things happened little by little. These days, I can come back and I can provide a better life for them.”
Whether he wins the featherweight title and beats Alexander Volkanovski or not, Diego Lopes is unquestionably an inspiring individual who did what he said he’d do. Let us know your thoughts on this revelation after you take a look at the next big story.
Dana White thankfully surprised Steve Erceg with his decision
Australian flyweight Steve Erceg might have been fast-tracked on his way to the top of the division with just three fights in. But his luck ran out after losing his title bout after Alexandre Pantoja stopped him at UFC 301, ‘Astroboy’ would find himself getting knocked out by a fellow flyweight from across the ocean, Kai Kara-France, in his last outing at UFC 305 in his hometown of Perth no less.
On both occasions, Erceg competed in the main event, and on the back of a couple of losses, the 29-year-old wasn’t expecting yet another main event spot this weekend. It is natural that he seemed pleasantly surprised by this decision from Dana White and the matchmaking team.
“I was surprised they gave me another main event spot against someone so highly ranked, but all I want to do is fight the toughest dudes on the planet,” Steve Erceg stated during the media day ahead of his UFC Mexico fight against Brandon Moreno. “Whether I have setbacks or whatever, that doesn’t bother me. Obviously losing sucks, but I want to prove I’m a tough guy. I would never think about turning down a fight, especially of this magnitude.”
Can Steve Erceg make the most of the main-event opportunity this time? Before you tell us your thoughts on it, here’s the final story of this roundup.
Alex Pereira thrashes 205lbs kingpin Magomed Ankalaev
Some fans might have expected the UFC 313 headliner to pan out as it did, but there were still some fans who trusted Alex Pereira to cross the finishing line. Well, ‘Poatan’ didn’t, and he dropped the light heavyweight belt. Now, on his route back to being a champion, the Brazilian is leaving no stone unturned in taking the aggressive approach as he recently slammed Magomed Ankalaev, taking a jibe at his fighting style.
There’s a comment sentiment about the Dagestani who may get the job done inside the Octagon but isn’t exciting enough when it comes to his style. It seems Pereira appears to have the same sentiment as he revealed when responding to Ankalaev’s recent jibes on social media, and claimed that ‘Big Ank’ is just like others, trying to garner attention.
“I don’t even need to talk about these guys. They’re talking because it’s the only way they can get noticed. Because everyone knows that no one likes to see [Ankalaev] fight,” Alex Pereira stated on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I don’t need to say anything because, as I said, I have a good relationship with the organization, my managers… Why should I keep provoking a guy and giving him some credit here?”
Well, Magomed Ankalaev might just respond to Alex Pereira this time, given that he’s been pretty active on social media. Regardless, the rematch is going to happen inevitably, and hence, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top this time. Let us know what you feel about the rumblings in the MMA world in the past 24 hours!
The post MMA News Roundup – Diego Lopes Gets Emotional Over Promise to Family; Dana White’s Move at UFC Mexico City Surprises Steve Erceg; Alex Pereira Slams Magomed Ankalaev Online appeared first on EssentiallySports.
