Diego Lopes recently put featherweight contender Movsar Evloev on blast after responding to his open challenge to the division for UFC 303. Lopes took the Russian up on his offer and expressed his desire to fight him on June 29, which is expected to generate a massive buyrate.
The exchange began after the No.5 ranked featherweight took to his X account to sound off on Aljamain Sterling before issuing an open challenge for any featherweight to step up and fight him in July. He wrote:
"After all that big talk, Sterling says he won't be ready until October. I can't just sit and wait for him. I'm ready to go as early as July. I'll accept a fight with anyone who things they have a chance against me. Is there really no one available who's up for the challenge?"
Check out Movsar Evloev's tweet below:
The tweet resulted in the Puebla native clapping back at the undefeated featherweight contender, who he is no stranger to sharing the octagon with. Lopes mentioned that he has constantly been calling Evloev out for a rematch, but the 30-year-old continues to remain silent. He wrote:
"Come on bro, I called you out after my fight at UFC 300 to fight at International Fight Week. You didn't respond or show your face. Now you're saying 'Anyone you think can beat me.'"
Check out Diego Lopes' tweet below:
When did Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev fight in the octagon?
Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev fought last May at UFC 288 and was a great opportunity for both as they competed on the second bout of the main card. It was an entertaining bout that saw Evloev earn a unanimous decision over Lopes, who stepped in on short notice, to keep his undefeated record intact.
Following the event, Evloev and Lopes earned post-fight bonuses for Fight of the Night. Based on the aforementioned tweets, it will be interesting to see if the UFC books a rematch so they can run it back.
Check out the faceoff between Evloev and Lopes ahead of their UFC 288 bout below: