Diego Lopes Scores Comeback Knockout Over Garcia at UFC Freedom 250

Diego Lopes erased a shaky opening round with a second-round knockout of Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday night in Washington.

Garcia controlled the first five minutes at the White House event, tagging Lopes with uppercuts and power punches behind his length advantage. The Jackson-Wink fighter forced the Brazilian backward and landed the cleaner shots, though Lopes connected on a few counters when Garcia pressed forward. The opening frame went clearly to Garcia.

Lopes Turns Fight Around With Counter Left Hook

Whatever Lopes' corner told him between rounds worked. He came out firing in the second, dragging Garcia into a brawl the New Mexico-based fighter could not survive. A counter left hook dropped Garcia, and Lopes swarmed with follow-up shots until the referee waved it off.

"Lopes started incredibly slow... and Garcia made him pay for it," MMA Mania wrote in its live coverage. The finish snapped Garcia's seven-fight win streak, six of those by knockout, including a recent stoppage of a divisional mainstay.

Lopes improved to 28-8 and bounced back from consecutive losses in featherweight title challenges. He should hold his No. 2 ranking after the comeback win. Garcia falls to 19-6.

The bout opened the UFC's 250th anniversary celebration on the South Lawn, streaming live on Paramount Plus. The card continues with Islam Makhachev defending his lightweight title against Ilia Topuria in the main event.

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• MMA Mania — Highlights! Diego Lopes kicks off UFC Freedom 250 with wild comeback knockout over gritty Steve Garcia