Diego Lopes, a former featherweight title challenger, has made two separate weigh-ins for the UFC White House event. Scheduled to open UFC Freedom 250 against knockout artist Steve Garcia, who is on a seven-fight winning streak, Lopes successfully made weight for his featherweight bout, both tipping the scales at 146 pounds.
However, Lopes then stepped onto the scales a second time, weighing in at 154 pounds. This was because the UFC’s official website noted him as a “potential alternate in the lightweight division.” As a result, Diego Lopes is now the official backup fighter for the main event of UFC Freedom 250, a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Initially, Arman Tsarukyan was slated to be the backup fighter for the UFC Freedom 250 main event. However, Tsarukyan had previously stated he would only officially weigh in if he were required to compete. As both Topuria and Gaethje successfully made championship weight, Tsarukyan did not attend the weigh-ins and is now set to face Tony Ferguson at RAF 10.
Tsarukyan had indicated to Ariel Helwani that he would need at least a week’s notice to serve as a backup and make the 155-pound limit. He also mentioned he would be willing to step in even with short notice if an injury occurred in the final four days before the fight, but it would have to be at a catchweight without a title on the line. The UFC ultimately did not require Tsarukyan’s services for the main event.
To ensure contingency, Diego Lopes was appointed as the backup for the main event, with UFC official Hunter Campbell allowing him to weigh in twice. If Lopes is called upon as a last-minute replacement for the main event, his scheduled opponent, Steve Garcia, would not compete on the South Lawn of the White House but would still receive his fight purse.
English Translation:
Former featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes has made two separate weigh-ins for the UFC White House event. Lopes is scheduled to kick off UFC Freedom 250 this weekend and will face knockout artist Steve Garcia, who is on a seven-fight winning streak. At the official weigh-ins, both featherweight contenders successfully made weight for their bout, with Lopes coming in at 146 pounds and Garcia also tipping the scales at 146 pounds, making their clash official.
Following his initial weigh-in, Diego Lopes stepped on the scales again and registered 154 pounds. The UFC’s official website noted the Brazilian as “a potential alternate in the lightweight division.” Consequently, Diego Lopes will now serve as the official backup fighter for the White House main event, which is a lightweight title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Originally, Arman Tsarukyan was supposed to serve as backup for the UFC Freedom 250 main event. However, Tsarukyan had previously made it clear that he would only officially weigh in if he were needed to compete. So far, everything is proceeding as planned, with both Topuria and Gaethje successfully making championship weight for their title fight.
Tsarukyan, therefore, did not attend the weigh-ins and is now set to face Tony Ferguson later today at RAF 10. The 29-year-old had previously told Ariel Helwani that if the UFC wanted him to serve as a backup fighter, he would need to be informed at least a week prior to UFC Freedom 250 to make weight. He also stated that if either “The Highlight” or “El Matador” suffered an injury in the final four days before the fight, he would still be willing to step in. However, in that scenario, the Armenian would not be able to cut down to the 155-pound championship limit on such short notice, meaning the bout would have to take place at a catchweight with no title on the line.
However, the UFC did not require Tsarukyan’s services, and he will now fulfill his RAF duties. To be on the safer side, they have made Diego Lopes the backup for the main event, with Hunter Campbell allowing him to weigh in twice. In the event that Diego Lopes is called upon as an eleventh-hour replacement, his scheduled opponent, Steve Garcia, would not compete on the South Lawn of the White House, but “Mean Machine” would still receive his fight purse.
