UFC Fight Night San Antonio: Diego Lopes drops Jean Silva with spinning elbow KO

Lopes shows star power in San Antonio

Under the green, white, and red glow of Noche UFC weekend in San Antonio, Diego Lopes delivered the kind of finish that lives on replay. At UFC Fight Night inside Frost Bank Center, Lopes stopped Jean Silva with a spinning back elbow and follow-up punches at 4:48 of Round 2, a statement knockout that froze the crowd for a beat and then blew the roof off.

Lopes, who closed as a -260 favorite to Silva’s +210, fought like a man who knew the assignment. He outlanded Silva 86-43 in total strikes and 74-43 in significant strikes, mixed in well-timed level changes, and banked valuable control time. Official numbers told the same story your eyes did: 2:40 of control for Lopes to just 0:03 for Silva, and 3-of-4 success on his takedown attempts. The Brazilian featherweight kept Silva guessing and paid it off with a ruthless finish.

The knockout came when Lopes read Silva’s forward step and spun into the elbow, catching him flush. Silva dropped hard. Lopes pounced with a quick burst of punches, forcing the referee to step in. It was clean, decisive, and the kind of timing you can’t fake. For a fighter already building a reputation as a problem at 145 pounds, this was gasoline on the fire.

Round 1 gave a preview. Lopes set the rhythm early, showing Silva different looks and winning most of the striking exchanges while threatening the takedown. That layered offense mattered. When Silva opened up more in the second, Lopes had the reads in place and the conditioning to punish any misstep. The gap widened, then shut completely with that spin.

What does it mean for the featherweight picture? Lopes arrived in the division with serious momentum, and this type of finish puts him right in the conversation for a top-five opponent next. Names like Yair Rodriguez, Arnold Allen, or Josh Emmett would make sense from a competitive and fan-interest standpoint. Whether the UFC goes that route or slots him into a title eliminator later this year, Saturday suggested he’s ready for the climb.

The setting amplified it all. San Antonio has a strong Mexican-American fight base, and Noche UFC is built to celebrate that energy. While Lopes and Silva brought Brazil to center stage, the card leaned into the weekend’s theme, and the crowd responded all night.

Main card results, takeaways, and what’s next

Rob Font turned back the rise of David Martinez with a veteran’s touch in their bantamweight bout. Font took a unanimous decision after three rounds, leaning on his jab, distance control, and the kind of shot selection that comes from years at the top. Martinez entered 13-1, hungry and aggressive, but Font never let the fight get messy. He kept the exchanges clean, scored when he needed to, and smothered momentum when Martinez tried to build it. It wasn’t flashy, but it was smart—and it steadies Font for another quality matchup among the ranked bantamweights while giving Martinez a clear checklist for his next camp.

Lightweight delivered chaos, as usual. Rafa Garcia flattened Jared Gordon with a thunderous right hand at 2:27 of Round 3, then sealed it with ground strikes when Gordon tried to recover. Garcia had been pressing the pace and forcing longer exchanges, and when the opening came, he didn’t hesitate. For Garcia, this is the kind of signature finish that can flip a career trajectory—moving him from reliable grinder to must-see action fighter. For Gordon, it’s a tough loss, but he has a long history of bouncing back against solid opposition.

In the middleweight clash of veterans, Kelvin Gastelum outpointed Dustin Stoltzfus with a clean, disciplined performance over three rounds. Gastelum’s best work came when he planted his feet and let his combinations go, then stepped off at angles to avoid prolonged grappling. Stoltzfus stayed game throughout, trying to create clinch sequences and level changes, but Gastelum’s experience in big spots showed. The win gives Gastelum a useful foothold to chase a higher-ranked opponent before year’s end.

As a whole, the San Antonio card fit the Noche UFC mold: big atmosphere, clean matchmaking, and the kind of stylistic variety that keeps the broadcast from feeling stuck in one gear. You had a viral knockout to close the show, a measured clinic from a bantamweight mainstay, a violent swing at 155, and a steady veteran win at 185. It checked every box for fans in the building and the ones catching replays on their phones minutes later.

• Featherweight main event: Diego Lopes def. Jean Silva by KO/TKO (spinning back elbow, 4:48 R2)
• Bantamweight: Rob Font def. David Martinez by unanimous decision (3 rounds)
• Lightweight: Rafa Garcia def. Jared Gordon by KO/TKO (punches, 2:27 R3)
• Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum def. Dustin Stoltzfus by unanimous decision (3 rounds)

The numbers behind the headliner will stick: Lopes nearly doubled Silva in total output, kept him honest with the takedown threat, and finished with style. The highlights will travel. More importantly for Lopes, so will the matchmaking leverage. One more night like this, and he won’t just be climbing—he’ll be knocking on the door everyone in the division hopes stays shut.