Biggest Winner: Diego Lopes
After suffering a devastating loss at the hands of Alexander Volkanovski in his last outing, Lopes returned to action with a vengeance, securing a nasty knockout win over a streaking fighter in Silva, reminding everyone of just how dangerous and exciting he can be. With the win, Lopes once again put himself in great position to challenge for the 145-pound title sooner rather than later. Interestingly enough, he may have to wait to see of Lerone Murphy — who also scored a spinning elbow knockout in his last fight — gets next shot at “The Great.” Regardless, Lopes is in a great position at the moment whether he gets next title shot or has to wait a little longer.
Runner Up: David Martinez
Martinez answered the call after Raul Rosas Jr. had to bow out of his co-main event fight against Font a couple weeks out from fight night, and he showed the reason(s) you never pass up an opportunity like that. Indeed, the Contender Series alum took it to Font, earning a clear-cut unanimous decision over the long-time veteran to score just his second win inside the Octagon after making his promotional debut six months ago. With a performance like that — and his willingness to step up on short notice — he most definitely earned favor with the UFC higher-ups and showed that he has a great future.
Biggest Loser: Jean Silva
It simply hasn’t been a good fortnight for “The Fighting Nerds” fight camp. After Caio Borralho and Mauricio Ruffy both suffered losses last week at UFC Paris (results here), things got worse for the up-start camp after Silva suffered a highlight-reel knockout loss in San Antonio. The defeat snapped Silva’s 13-fight win streak, and it also marked the first time he suffered defeat inside the Octagon after rattling off five straight wins. Indeed, it’s a huge blow for “Lord,” who will take a tumble on the rankings and get pushed further down the line.
