30-Year-Old from Brazil Claims TKO Win in Featherweight Bout, Earns Double $50,000 UFC Bonus Payouts for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- What a night for mixed martial arts! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Diego Lopes on defeating Jean Silva in the Main Event fight at Noche UFC in San Antonio. In the highly anticipated Featherweight division bout, the 30-year-old from Manaus, Brazil, stopped his opponent with a brutal TKO in Round 2.

As a rare achievement, the relentless battle earned Lopes double payouts for the UFC's Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, for $100,000 in total.

Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva was contested in front of a live crowd of 18,005 spectators inside the sold-out Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The event marked the third annual Noche UFC to celebrate Mexican fighting heritage during Mexican Independence Day weekend. Featuring five fights on the Main Card, the spectacle was broadcast live on the ESPN+ service.

Monster Energy's Lopes (27-7) stepped into Noche UFC looking to recover from a recent defeat in the UFC Featherweight title bout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314 in April. Previously, Lopes had built an undefeated streak in the UFC by defeating top competitors such as Dan Ige and Brian Ortega.

Lopes faced one of the toughest tests of his career in Saturday night's opponent: Heading into Noche UFC, 28-year-old Silva (16-3) from Brazil remained unbeaten through five UFC fights, with all victories earned by stoppage. Silva also remained unbeaten in 13 professional fights since 2018. Could Lopes stop the rise of this new UFC juggernaut?

The intensity was palpable inside Frost Bank Center for the night's Main Event as Lopes and Silva clashed in the Octagon. Both fighters started by systematically scoping out weak spots in their opponent's defense, with Lopes landing damaging kicks to Silva's leading leg.

The crowd erupted when Silva missed a spinning attack and Lopes immediately swooped in to secure a swift takedown. Controlling Silva from top position, Lopes proceeded to rain down heavy ground-and-pound on the way to what looked like an early finish with heavy and uncontested shots. But Silva not only rallied to regain standing position but also stung Lopes with a surprising upkick to the chin before the end of Round 1. The battle was on!

The fight escalated in the second round as Silva mounted a counterattack using heavy shots after jabs to hurt Lopes. Standing his ground, Lopes returned fire before seizing a chance to lift Silva off his feet, then drop him to the canvas in a dramatic scene. After a brief grapple dominated by Lopes, the fight went back to standing as both fighters unleashed heavy shots in the center of the Octagon.

It was all over quickly when Lopes landed a spinning back elbow to Silva's head, instantly dropping the Brazilian to the canvas. From there, Lopes bloodied Silva with more than a dozen unanswered strikes to the head before referee Mike Beltran jumped in at 4:48 to end the fight with Lopes as the winner by TKO.

"I'm standing at high level. I proved it tonight," said Monster Energy's Lopes after claiming the win at Noche UFC 3. Speaking on the spinning elbow that won the battle, Lopes revealed: "I tried it backstage. I prepared for that. I knew that was the exact moment when I needed to do that!"

The wild fight and dramatic finish earned Lopes a rare double payout for the UFC's Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, netting $100,000 in total.

Lopes started competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of seven and began competing in mixed martial arts at 17. After relocating to Mexico, he rose quickly through the LUX Fight League promotion and became the LUX Featherweight Champion before making his UFC debut in May 2023 at UFC 288.

What's next for Lopes? Freshly returned to the victory column, he immediately requested another shot at the division title: "I'm ready for the next opponent," Lopes said. "If the UFC thinks I need one more fight, I'll take one more fight." Stay tuned for Lopes' next opponent!

Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Marlon Vera, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Giga Chikadze, Johnny Walker, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Patricio Pitbull, Maycee Barber, Aaron Pico, Patchy Mix, Jasmine Jasudavicius, and Kayla Harrison.

For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.

For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.

About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.

CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: kim.dresser@indiepragency.com 

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