Former Title Challenger Meets Fighting Nerds Standout in Noche UFC Headliner

While it’s not the grudge match many had hoped for, Noche UFC is still getting a pretty solid main event.

UFC CEO Dana White announced on Tuesday that recent title challenger Diego Lopes will square off against surging Brazilian contender Jean Silva in the evening’s featured bout on Sept. 13 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio Texas. Lopes recently had a heated dispute with Yair Rodriguez at a UFC 314 pre-fight press conference, which created interest in a potential bout. However, that pairing did not come to fruition.

Noche UFC — also known as UFC Fight Night 259 — is the promotion’s annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day. The card was initially scheduled to take place in Monterrey, Mexico, but a delay in construction of the venue in the city resulted in the relocation of the event.

Noche UFC Gets All-Action Featherweight Matchup

Lopes is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Volkanovski in a 145-pound title bout at UFC 314 on April 12. Prior to that, the Lobo Gym MMA representative had won five consecutive Octagon appearances, besting the likes of Sodiq Yusuff, Dan Ige and Brian Ortega in the process.

Silva has been on a roll since earning a UFC deal on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2023. The Fighting Nerds product has been victorious in his first five promotional outings, finishing all of his opponents inside the distance. Most recently, Silva submitted Bryce Mitchell with a ninja choke in the second round of their UFC 314 encounter.

This is going to be FUN 😮‍💨@DiegoLopesMMA vs @JeanSilvaMMA96 is your #NocheUFC main event! pic.twitter.com/khiBzH8CHi

— UFC (@ufc) June 25, 2025