Diego Lopes Accuses Yair Rodriguez of Ducking Him for Noche UFC Matchup

Diego Lopes (26-7) claims Yair Rodriguez (20-5) turned down a matchup against him at Noche UFC.

Noche UFC will go down on Sept.13 at the Frost Bank Arena in San Antonio, Texas, after a change of location from Guadalajara, Mexico. Lopes claims UFC executive Hunter Campbell offered Rodriguez a matchup against him on the card. However, “El Pantera” seemingly isn’t willing to fight Lopes. Lopes also taunted Rodriguez with a picture of their infamous UFC 314 press conference altercation.

“Hey, Yair Rodríguez, I just realized that you received a call from Hunter and refused to fight me at Noche UFC,” Lopes wrote on X. “Where is the man who was in front of me at the press conference?”

🚨 Diego Lopes says Yair Rodriguez turned down a fight against him for #NocheUFC in September 👀🍿

“Hey, Yair Rodriguez, I just found out you got a call from Hunter denying the fight with me at Noche UFC. Where's the guy who was in front of me at the press conference?”

(via… pic.twitter.com/08ER2s33kq

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 9, 2025

Lopes came up short in a clash for the vacant featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314 this past April. Meanwhile, Rodriguez foiled the UFC debut of former Bellator champ Patricio “Freire on the same card. 

Lopes and Rodriguez almost came to blows in a surprising altercation at the UFC 314 pre-fight press conference. Rodriguez later explained that the issue involved his friend, former UFC fighter Marco Beltran, and it was the latter’s story to tell. 

While Movsar Evloev is widely regarded as the most deserving contender, the undefeated Russian recently announced that he is fighting in July, but it won’t be for the 145-pound title. Meanwhile, Volkanovski said that Rodriguez’s name has popped up in conversations for his next defense. 

After dropping his short-notice UFC debut against Evloev in 2023, Lopes went on a five-fight tear before losing to “The Great.” Meanwhile, Rodriguez’s win over Freire saw him rebound from a two-bout losing streak.