Diego Lopes and Jean Silva lit up San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center on Saturday night, delivering a headliner that had fans on their feet. The third installment of Noche UFC, celebrating Mexican Independence Day, promised fireworks—and the featherweights made sure it delivered. For two rounds, the cage was chaos. To start, Lopes, entering with a 26-7 record, wasted no time asserting control. He dragged No. 10-ranked ‘Lord’ into his world, taking the back early and pounding away with elbows and punches. Even so, Jean Silva, bloodied but stubborn, managed to wriggle free and carried just enough hope into Round 2. However, that hope didn’t last long. Once Silva lost his balance, Lopes swarmed with a vicious flurry that left ‘Lord’ bleeding and forced the referee to wave it off.

The stoppage was more than just a win for Diego Lopes—it was a statement. Once written off as the underdog, the Brazilian flipped the script in San Antonio, silencing critics and reminding the featherweight division that his threat is very real. For Jean Silva, though, the night was less about hype and more about a harsh reality check. Not everyone walked away impressed.

Jean Silva’s approach against Diego Lopes draws sharp words from Israel Adesanya

Former champion Israel Adesanya broke down the fight on his YouTube channel, and his focus landed squarely on Silva’s obsession with the spinning elbow: “That spinning was too much though. He just went to the well, too. Like, after a few, then it’s like a few we have the—but even before that, he was just pressing, pressing, pressing.” The Mexican-Brazilian standout may not have had the pre-fight shine, but his experience proved too much for the Fighting Nerd’s raw athleticism and hype. Israel Adesanya didn’t sugarcoat the lesson either, hammering home the technical lapse that cost ‘Lord’ dearly.

“He maybe landed one, and they thought, okay, I’ll do it again, I’ll do it again. But you can’t just keep button-bashing the same moves. You have to set it up another way, because guys catch on,” the former middleweight champion explained. Adesanya’s critique centered on Silva’s overreliance on the spinning back elbow—a tactic his Fighting Nerd teammate Carlos Prates executed flawlessly in his previous outing against Geoff Neal at UFC 319.

Prates opened with straight punches, landing a hard left and closing the round strong. Neal attempted a takedown off Prates’ knee, but the fighters ended up against the fence. Prates landed two clean shots, then sealed the round with a spinning back elbow at the buzzer—and Neal was out in the first.

As for the bigger picture, the loss of Jean Silva hits Fighting Nerds Gym even harder. Silva now joins teammates Mauricio Ruffy and Caio Borralho in watching their once-pristine records crumble. Altogether, the camp has slipped to just 1-3 in its last four UFC outings—with Prates providing the lone bright spot after bouncing back against veteran Geoff Neal.

Jean Silva speaks out after tough UFC Noche loss to Diego Lopes

Jean Silva had been unstoppable, finishing every opponent inside the distance—until Diego Lopes stepped into the cage. After weathering a tough opening round, ‘Lord’ began to find his rhythm in the second, but then a spinning back elbow from Lopes changed everything. From there, Lopes’ relentless, action-packed style left Silva reeling, handing him his first UFC loss. The drama didn’t stop there. As Lopes celebrated, the Brazilian remained against the fence, speaking with his corner, and in a fleeting moment lashed out with a brief sucker punch at the Mexican-Brazilian.

Naturally, the move drew sharp reactions from fans and critics alike, exposing just how emotional and distracted Jean Silva was that night. In the aftermath, Silva finally broke his silence, speaking publicly about the loss. Posting a clip on Instagram in Portuguese, he said, “Unfortunately, yesterday the emotion got the better of me. I was seeing well in the second round, but I ended up rushing in with everything, just wanting to throw down. I ended up fighting alone. I wasn’t connected with my team, so the responsibility is all mine for this loss.”

What’s your take on Jean Silva’s performance against Diego Lopes at UFC Noche? Did the Brazilian cost himself by chasing flashy moves and ignoring his team’s guidance? Drop your thoughts below and weigh in on one of the wildest featherweight showdowns of the year.