WATCH | Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez get into heated altercation at UFC 314 press conference: “Stop with the threats”

Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez got into it at the UFC 314 press conference.

Lopes is set to headline the card for the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is set to take on Patricio Pitbull on the main card. Although the two aren’t fighting one another, they have taken shots at each other in the past and it finally blew up on Thursday at the press conference.

A person asked Diego Lopes if Yair Rodriguez would be next if he wins at Noche UFC. However, he took a jab at Rodriguez, asking how many losses in a row Rodriguez has. After that, Lopes and Rodioguez spoke Spanish to each other in a heated exchange.

DIEGO AND YAIR ARE GOING AT IT@DiegoLopesMMA | @PanteraUFC | #UFC314 pic.twitter.com/LDdJJkanpy

— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2025

The two had to be separated by security. The translator was able to get bits and pieces with Rodriguez telling Lopes to say it to his face. One of them said to “stop with the threats” with another saying “don’t talk about my team.”

The two clearly don’t like one another, and if both win, that is the logical next fight. Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez could easily headline Noche UFC in September for the belt, and it would be an intense lead-up to the fight, as already they have been taking shots at one another.

But, for now, Lopes is set to take on Volkanovski while Rodriguez will face Pitbull in two highly-anticipated bouts.

Yair Rodriguez wants to face Diego Lopes in Mexico

A day before their heated exchange, Yair Rodriguez laid the groundwork for a potential fight with Patricio Pitbull.

Rodriguez spoke at UFC media day and said he wanted to fight Lopes at Noche UFC in Mexico. He also is annoyed with Lopes for calling himself Mexican when he was born in Brazil.

“Yes, I have a problem with that, not with Diego,” Rodriguez said at media day about Lopes. “He’s just doing his job with what he’s doing right now, but my problem is, what’s up with people? I understand he’s great, he’s exciting, and you know he’s doing his job, but I just don’t agree with it. I will never be that way and don’t want to be that way. If he’s doing it, good for him. If people want to see him as Mexican, I don’t have a problem with that.

“I’ve been killing myself for years for my country. If they decide to go with him the moment with have to fight or face each other, that’s on them. I’ve been doing all the things to represent my country. I have bled for my country, I have cried for my country, I’ve hugged the flag. I can’t be more proud of being Mexican,” Rodriguez added.

Yair Rodriguez is 19-5 as a pro and coming off back-to-back losses to Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski. Diego Lopes, meanwhile, is 26-6 as a pro and coming off a win over Ortega.