Steve Garcia eyes title shot with Diego Lopes upset at UFC White House

Steve Garcia thinks an upset win over Diego Lopes this weekend launches him straight into the featherweight title conversation.

Garcia opens the UFC White House card Sunday against Lopes, a two-time title challenger now ranked third at 145 pounds. Garcia sits at No. 12 in Sherdog's official featherweight rankings but carries a seven-fight streak that includes six finishes since 2022. Lopes has dropped two championship bids to Alexander Volkanovski in his last three outings, sandwiching a stoppage of Jean Silva between those losses.

Garcia promises early dominance against top-ranked Lopes

"Mean Machine" told the UFC he plans to impose his will from the opening seconds. "Having an opponent like Diego Lopes, knowing where his ranking is at. Having the opportunity to fight someone that high, challenging myself, but also being able to put myself in a position where I could challenge for the title," Garcia said, per Sherdog. "I'm just gonna go out there and dominate him. Dominate him from the start of the bell to the end of the bell."

Garcia declined to share specifics on his gameplan but offered a warning to viewers. "I don't care how I get it done; it just has to happen. I'm not gonna give away [my plan], but don't blink; there's a reason why we're the first fight to open up the card," he said.

Garcia enters the bout at 19-5 overall, while Lopes stands at 27-8. The featherweight matchup kicks off the UFC White House main card on Sunday.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Steve Garcia believes win over Diego Lopes puts him in title picture