UFC 303 Card Revamped: Diego Lopes vs Brian Ortega Among New Headliners

New Delhi: The UFC 303 event has undergone significant changes, adding fresh excitement to the lineup for International Fight Week. UFC CEO Dana White announced late Thursday that featherweight standouts Diego Lopes and Brian Ortega will fight in a prime spot on the revamped card.

In another notable change, former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill is out of his fight against Carlos Ulberg. Anthony Smith will step in to replace Hill, ensuring the bout remains a key attraction.

The card also lost its original main event featuring Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler. This change comes shortly after the UFC had to alter the headliner for next week’s event in Saudi Arabia.

Diego Lopes (23-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC), 29, has been on a tear since his short-notice decision loss to undefeated Movsar Evloev in his debut at UFC 288 in May 2023. Lopes has since secured three consecutive first-round finishes, with his latest victory against Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300 in April. Lopes will now face perennial contender Brian Ortega (16-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who is ranked No. 7 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings. Ortega is coming off a submission victory over former interim champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 237 in February.

The updated UFC 303 lineup includes:

• Champ Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka – for light heavyweight title
• Anthony Smith vs. Carlos Ulberg
• Diego Lopes vs. Brian Ortega
• Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson
• Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Joe Pyfer
• Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Page
• Andre Fili vs. Cub Swanson
• Vinicius Oliveira vs. Ricky Simon
• Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva
• Yanis Ghemmouri vs. Payton Talbott
• Gillian Robertson vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday
• Carlos Hernandez vs. Rei Tsuruya

With these new matchups, UFC 303 promises to deliver a thrilling night of fights, showcasing both established veterans and rising stars in the MMA world.