Diego Lopes weighs in for two bouts ahead of UFC White House event
MMA Fighting • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 13, 2026, 4:44 PM
Last updated Jun 13, 2026
Diego Lopes weighed in at 146 pounds for his featherweight fight against Steve Garcia scheduled for June 14, 2026, at the UFC White House in Washington, D.C. In an unusual development, Lopes also weighed in as a backup for the lightweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, registering at 154 pounds. Lopes previously faced a similar situation in June 2024, when he fought Dan Ige on short notice after his original opponent withdrew on fight day. His dual weigh-in positions him as a potential alternative for the title fight should either champion be unable to compete.
- •Lopes weighs in successfully for both featherweight and lightweight categories
- •Scheduled to fight Steve Garcia on June 14, 2026
- •Lopes weighed 154 pounds as lightweight championship backup
- •He previously stepped in on short notice for a fight in June 2024
- 4:44 PMMMA Fighting — UFC White House video: Diego Lopes weighs in for 2 fights, including main event backup spot
- 4:44 PMYahoo Sports — UFC White House video: Diego Lopes weighs in for 2 fights, including main event backup spot
"WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Diego Lopes of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC Freedom 250 Official Weigh-in at JW Marriott on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Diego Lopes is truly ready for anything at UFC White House. The featherweight contender is currently scheduled to fight Steve Garcia in the opener of Sunday’s historic show in Washington, D.C., and he successfully made weight for that matchup at Friday’s official weigh-ins, officially registering at 146 pounds. However, in a bizarre twist, it was later announced Lopes would weigh in again as a backup for the lightweight championship main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Lopes’ second appearance saw him come in at 154 pounds. The moment drew a laugh from the fighter and reporters, but apparently this is no joke as UFC.com included the following statement on its weigh-in page: *Diego Lopes has also weighed-in at 154.0 pounds as a potential alternate in the lightweight division. Watch Lopes’ weigh-ins below. Diego Lopes literally weighed in twice for #UFCWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/nm8x7j4z9z — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 13, 2026 Lopes is no stranger to fight week chaos. At UFC 303 in June 2024, Lopes was supposed to fight Brian Ortega in that show’s co-main event. When illness forced Ortega to withdraw from the bout on fight day, Dan Ige stepped up as a replacement and Lopes agreed to fight him in a 165-pound catchweight bout just hours before the event was to start. Now, it’s Lopes putting himself into position for a last-second save as he could either step in for undisputed champion Topuria or interim champion Gaethje should the need arise.
"Diego Lopes available to save UFC White House main event
Sources
External links- MMA FightingJun 13, 2026, 4:44 PMUFC White House video: Diego Lopes weighs in for 2 fights, including main event backup spot
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 13: Diego Lopes of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC Freedom 250 Official Weigh-in at JW Marriott on June 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Diego Lopes is truly ready for anything at UFC White House. The featherweight contender is currently scheduled to fight Steve Garcia in the opener of Sunday’s historic show in Washington, D.C., and he successfully made weight for that matchup at Friday’s official weigh-ins, officially registering at 146 pounds. However, in a bizarre twist, it was later announced Lopes would weigh in again as a backup for the lightweight championship main event between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. Lopes’ second appearance saw him come in at 154 pounds. The moment drew a laugh from the fighter and reporters, but apparently this is no joke as UFC.com included the following statement on its weigh-in page: *Diego Lopes has also weighed-in at 154.0 pounds as a potential alternate in the lightweight division. Watch Lopes’ weigh-ins below. Diego Lopes literally weighed in twice for #UFCWhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/nm8x7j4z9z — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 13, 2026 Lopes is no stranger to fight week chaos. At UFC 303 in June 2024, Lopes was supposed to fight Brian Ortega in that show’s co-main event. When illness forced Ortega to withdraw from the bout on fight day, Dan Ige stepped up as a replacement and Lopes agreed to fight him in a 165-pound catchweight bout just hours before the event was to start. Now, it’s Lopes putting himself into position for a last-second save as he could either step in for undisputed champion Topuria or interim champion Gaethje should the need arise.
- Yahoo SportsJun 13, 2026, 4:44 PMUFC White House video: Diego Lopes weighs in for 2 fights, including main event backup spot
Diego Lopes available to save UFC White House main event
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