Yair Rodriguez and Diego Lopes Reignite UFC Feud: 'I’d Rather Fight Him In the Street!'

Lopes publicly called out Rodriguez on social media, accusing him of ducking the fight, prompting a fiery response from "El Pantera," who claimed he’d rather brawl with Lopes outside the Octagon than under the UFC’s promotion.

Rodriguez took to social media and posted a video saying, “I’ve got no problem fighting [Lopes]. If you ask me, I’d rather fight him in the damn street.”

The former UFC interim featherweight champion didn’t hold back in his rebuttal, though his reasoning was more of an excuse to not Lopes than anything.

“A fight with him in the company doesn’t do anything,” Rodriguez explained. “They’re not going to pay me more. It doesn’t do a damn thing. It doesn’t put me in a better position either because he’s coming off a loss.”

Beyond the competitive aspect, Rodriguez revealed personal grievances, including lingering injuries that may require surgery and visa issues complicating his ability to fight in the U.S.

Despite his frustrations, Rodriguez made it clear he isn’t afraid of Lopes, taunting, "I’d be more than happy to fight this little piece of sh— and his whole sh—y team."

Lopes fired back, denying Rodriguez’s claims and insisting he has never turned down a UFC fight.

"Let’s get to the facts," Lopes wrote on X (formerly Twitter) detailing how he accepted multiple fight offers, including bouts against Aaron Pico and Jean Silva, before agreeing to face Rodriguez.

Lopes cited the UFC brass as being in his favor, saying, “If you have any doubts, ask Dana, Hunter, or Sean if I’ve ever turned down a fight. The day I turn down or don’t accept a fight, it has to be because of a very serious health issue or because I’m truly unable to fight.”

He also dismissed Rodriguez’s street-fight bravado, quipping, "Fighting in the street? No, bro, I don’t recommend that... It’s better to have a referee involved."

The animosity between the two dates back to their heated confrontation at the UFC 314 press conference in April, where Rodriguez accused Lopes of disrespecting his teammate, Marco Beltran. Rodriguez has also criticized Lopes for representing Mexico despite being Brazilian-born, further fueling the rivalry.

Whether the promotion can reconcile their differences and have these two fight, or whether this clash spills beyond the Octagon, one thing is certain: these two despise each other on a deeply personal level.