Featherweight veteran Pat Sabatini (18-4) is set to face off against Diego Lopes (22-6) at UFC 295. The matchup was first reported by Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN. UFC 295 will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 11 and is headlined by a heavyweight championship clash between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
Pat Sabatini’s UFC Career
Sabatini began his Ultimate Fighting Championship career with a four-fight winning streak, which was unfortunately snapped by a brutal technical knockout loss to Damon Jackson in September 2022. However, the 32-year-old has since bounced back with a second-round submission win against Lucas Almeida earlier this year.
Diego Lopes’ Journey to the UFC
On the other hand, Lopes failed to earn a UFC contract in his Dana White’s Contender Series appearance in 2021, coming up short in a decision against Joanderson Brito. However, the 28-year-old standout went on to win two of his next three fights, including back-to-back knockouts, eventually earning himself a UFC card spot on just five days’ notice against Movsar Evloev. Despite dropping a decision against the undefeated Russian in a “Fight of the Night” contest at UFC 288 in May, Lopes proved that he can stand his ground against elite featherweights. The Brazilian went on to earn his first UFC victory via a highlight-reel Round 1 submission win over Gavin Tucker in August.