Two Brazilians, Diego Lopes and Jean Silva, are clashing in the featherweight feature on this weekend's UFC card in San Antonio, but you can expect an abundance of green, white, and red tricolors in the fervent crowd at the Frost Bank Center. Although officially known as UFC Fight Night: Lopes vs Silva, Dana White's latest MMA extravaganza has also been dubbed 'Noche UFC 3', as it will be the third year in a row that the UFC has commemorated Mexico's Independence Day.
While the former UFC Featherweight title challenger, Diego Lopes, may hail originally from Brazil, he fought on MMA cards in Mexico between 2016 and 2021 for the LUX and Jasaji Fighting League, and currently resides in Puebla. Lopes is therefore guaranteed plenty of vocal support in Texas, and he’ll need it as he looks to bounce back fast, following his defeat against Alexander Volkanovski in April, which not only dashed his title dreams but also brought his 5-fight winning streak to an end. The loss was hard to swallow for the Lobo Gym trainee, but he would have learnt a lot from being tested by one of the best in the business.
Diego Lopes' momentum may have stalled, but his Octagon opponent in San Antonio, Jean Silva, continues to surge. The Sao Paulo sensation has been on a roll since earning a UFC deal on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. He was victorious in all five of his promotional outings to date (finishing all of his rivals inside the distance), and he’s won his last 13 MMA bouts in total. Most recently, Silva submitted Bryce Mitchell with a ninja choke in the second round of their April clash, which was on the same UFC 314 card as Lopes vs Volkanovski.
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While no Mexican-born fighter features in the headliner in Texas, David Martinez does compete in the co-main event. The ‘Black Spartan’ who impressed on his UFC debut earlier this year, replaces the injured Raul Rosas Jr. and takes on MMA veteran, Rob Font, in a bantamweight bout. Other Mexicans who will get the crowd jumping in San Antonio include Rafa Garcia (vs Jared Gordon) and Santiago Luna (vs Quang Le). Santiago Luna will be hoping to make a good first impression in the UFC after remaining unbeaten during bouts on LXF, UWC, and Tuff-N-Uff cards. He’ll also be looking to maintain his 100% record of winning inside the distance.
Let GOAL give you all the vital information you need to know ahead of Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva, including the full card details and how you can watch or stream all the action live.
When is Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva?
| Date | Saturday, September 13 |
| Location | Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Prelims start time | The ESPN+ show starts at 3 pm ET (8 pm BST) |
| Main event walks | 8 pm ET (1 am BST, Sun) |
The Frost Bank Center (formerly known as the AT&T Center and SBC Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in San Antonio, Texas. It's been the home of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs since opening in 2002. The arena seats 18,418 for basketball, and 19,000 for concerts or gatherings, and contains 2,018 club seats and 50 luxury suites.
Last year, the city of San Antonio revealed plans for a new downtown district located near the Spurs' old home, Alamodome, and the Tower of the Americas that would include a new arena as well as a new convention center, hotel tower, and acres of retail and residential development, and improvements to the Alamodome.
Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva marks the UFC's fourth visit to San Antonio and the Frost Bank Center. In June 2014, the arena held its first UFC event, UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs Stephens. Since then, the arena has staged the following UFC events:
- UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards (2019)
- UFC on ESPN: Vera vs Sandhagen (2023)
This is the third annual ‘Noche’ event held by the UFC. Previous events commemorating Mexico's Independence Day were UFC 306: O'Malley vs Dvalishvili (September 2024) and UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 (September 2023). Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva was originally due to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico, and serve as UFC 320, but it was moved to San Antonio (and shifted to a Fight Night event) due to the construction of Arena Guadalajara being delayed.
🇺🇸 How to watch Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva in the US
In the United States, Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva, plus other main card bouts and prelims, will be broadcast on ESPN+, with streaming available via the ESPN+ app. This is a standalone service from regular ESPN, so you don’t need to be an existing TV subscriber. You can download the app for PC, Apple, Android, Fire TV, Roku, Smart TV, and many others. One month of ESPN+ is $11.99, or the 1-year subscription costs $119.99.
FuboTV is a top-quality streaming service that has ESPN included in all its packages, so it offers access to UFC events and a whole world of sports. Fubo subscription plans start from $84.99 per month as part of a rolling contract. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers. With over 200 channels, no contract, no hidden fees, and the option to cancel anytime, Fubo is a no-brainer for UFC and general sports fans.
🇬🇧 How to watch Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva in the UK
Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva coverage will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream on discovery+ and watch via TNT Sports' TV channels on Sky, BT, and Virgin Media platforms. Discovery+ Premium is £30.99 per month and available on a monthly rolling contract. This includes TNT Sports and other entertainment channels. Existing BT broadband customers can access TNT Sports for £20 per month. The package consists of TNT Sports and Discovery+.
Watch Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva from anywhere with a VPN
If Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend NordVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva Fight Card
Main Card
| Weight class | Fight |
|---|---|
| Featherweight | Diego Lopes vs Jean Silva |
| Bantamweight | Rob Font vs David Martinez |
| Lightweight | Rafa García vs Jared Gordon |
| Middleweight | Kelvin Gastelum vs Dustin Stoltzfus |
| Bantamweight | Santiago Luna vs Quang Le |
Diego Lopes MMA Stats
- Age: 30
- Height: 1.8 m
- Reach: 1.84 m
- Total fights: 33
- Record: 26-7-0
Jean Silva MMA stats
- Age: 28
- Height: 1.7 m
- Reach: 1.75 m
- Total fights: 18
- Record: 16-2-0