The UFC 314 press conference in Miami was a spectacle of drama, with matchups between opponents who genuinely have disdain for each other. While the event featured intense back-and-forths and staredowns between matchups like Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett and Jean Silva vs. Bryce Mitchell, no moment was more charged than the heated exchange between two fighters who are not even slated to face each other this weekend.
During the press conference, Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopes stole the spotlight, hurling insults and trash talk in Spanish before almost fighting right then and there. The conflict sparked when a reporter asked if they could fight each other on the upcoming UFC event in Guadalajara for the Mexican Independence Day card. Lopes responded to the reporter’s question with a question of his own, asking, “How many losses does he have in a row?” The reporter then asked Yair what he thinks of that dig by Lopes. The usually humble and respectful Rodriguez said in a curt manner, “Culón,” which is a common Spanish vulgarity implying Lopes is a coward.
Lopes responded, “Say it to my face,” before both men stood up to continue the trash talk while having to be separated by security. Rodriguez believes Lopes’s team attacked his teammate named Marco, saying, “Didn’t you and your team beat up Marco? I've been waiting to tell you this to your face.” Lopes retorted, saying, “You want to fight me? Don’t talk about my team. My team is here. They know what you did.” Earlier this week, during media day, Rodriguez expressed that he dislikes the notion of the Brazilian-born Lopes representing Mexico, saying, “Yes, I have a problem with that, not with Diego.”
As UFC 314 approaches, this explosion during the press conference has set the table for high-stakes drama in the future of the featherweight division. Whether the UFC capitalizes on this narrative depends on both fighters winning at UFC 314, but the storyline for a potential fight between Lopes and Rodriguez is already ripe with intrigue.
The UFC 314 press conference went from 0 to 100 real quick. We’re days away from the next UFC pay-per-view event with all sorts of different storylines taking place from Miami. In the main event, former champ Alexander Volkanovski looks to reclaim the vacant featherweight belt against first-time title challenger Diego Lopes. The featherweight division is well-represented at UFC 314 as former interim champion Yair Rodriguez defends his top ranking against the oncoming Patricio Pitbull, a two-division champion in Bellator.
Diego Lopes dissed Yair Rodriguez over two-fight losing skid. The fighters who had to be separated by security were Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopes, potential opponents at 145lbs with an apparent history. Should they both win on Saturday, a reporter asked Lopes if he’d entertain a fight with Chihuahua’s Rodriguez at Noche UFC 3 (UFC 316) in Guadalajara, Mexico, given the fact Brazil’s Lopes also reps Mexico, which Rodriguez wasn’t so fond of at media day.
Lopes asked the reporter how many losses Rodriguez was coming from. The reporter answered two in Spanish, as Rodriguez had lost to Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega. “That’s not enough,” Lopes said of Rodriguez fighting for the title again. Yair Rodriguez accused Diego Lopes of jumping teammate Firing back, Rodriguez called Lopes a ‘p*’ in Spanish, igniting a feud at the presser. The translator was left speechless at the insult.
Rodriguez got up to his feet and so did Lopes, held back by security guards on stage. Rodriguez accused Lopes and his team of attacking Marco Beltran. Beltran is a teammate of Rodriguez’s and he fought Lopes in 2019. Lopes defeated Beltran by kneebar to defend his LUX title in Mexico. Rodriguez’s accusations leave many unanswered questions but it’s safe to say Rodriguez and Lopes have unfinished business, arguing in Spanish over the microphones. “You’re gonna pay for Marco!” Rodriguez told Lopes. “Don’t talk about my team,” Lopes replied to Rodriguez’s accusations. Rodriguez and Lopes argued while Bryce Mitchell tried to take another question from the media.
The featherweights continued to bicker even after the UFC 314 press conference had ended with Alexander Volkanovski standing idly by. The UFC security did their jobs, preventing a fight between UFC stars who aren’t even fighting each other this weekend.
They aren’t even facing each other in Sunday’s main card, but the UFC has already been gift wrapped its next big fight in the featherweight division after Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez had to be separated in fiery scenes at the UFC 314 press conference. While the entire exchange between the two was too intense for the translator, some parts were picked up including Lopes calling Rodriguez out for talking about his team. “Say it to my face!” Lopes shouted at one point.
“You want to fight me? Don’t talk about my team.” “My team is here. They know what you did,” he later added. Lopes also repeatedly asked Rodriguez “how many losses in a row” he has. The answer, for the record, is two with the Mexican coming off back-to-back defeats to Brian Ortega and Volkanovski. The pair continued trading words when the next question was directed at Bryce Mitchell and even as all the fighters were cleared from the stage for face-offs, Lopes and Rodriguez continued to come together before being separated by security.
The reason for the animosity between the two is yet to be confirmed at this stage, although there was already an element of tension after Rodriguez criticized Lopes earlier in the week for representing Mexico in the sport despite his Brazilian roots. Lopes was born and raised in Brazil but has called Mexico home since 2015 when he moved to the country with the idea of furthering his MMA career.
“I don’t agree with it,” Rodriguez told reporters on media day. “I started my career in the UFC in 2014, and now it’s 2025. I’ve been living in the U.S. for over 10 years, my girlfriend is American, and I speak English. And now, because of that, I’m representing the American flag to gain followers? I love this country, but I’m not going to say I’m American. I’m not. I’m Mexican, and I’m proud of it.” Rodriguez went on to clarify that he doesn’t “have a problem” with it if people view Lopes as Mexican but added that he will “never be that way.”
It sets up the perfect fight for featherweight gold at UFC Noche, should both Lopes and Rodriguez have their hands raised on Sunday. But that won’t happen if Volkanovski has anything to do with it, closing out Friday’s press conference by declaring he is “bringing the fing belt back to Australia.” While the clash between Lopes and Rodriguez was undoubtedly the highlight, Bryce Mitchell also delivered an all-time comeback as the controversial American was loudly heckled — not just by his opponent Jean Silva but by the fans.
The crowd consistently chanted “f*** Bryce Mitchell” throughout the press conference, much to the displeasure of the 30-year-old, while Silva at one point continued to bark like a dog. And how did Mitchell respond to that? Well, he said he “put a lot of dogs down” in his day, adding that they all have something in common. “They squeal right before they die,” Mitchell added.
UFC 314 is set to take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, featuring a main card that promises to deliver fireworks as the fighters gear up for their respective bouts. The anticipation is palpable, and the drama between Rodriguez and Lopes only adds to the excitement surrounding this event.
