Diego Lopes’ career has never followed a straight line, from sleeping in gyms, struggling to make ends meet, and short-notice opportunities before finally landing under the UFC lights. Now, as 2026 begins, Lopes isn’t just another contender climbing the ladder; he’s one fight away from the featherweight throne.
When a fighter is booked to face Alexander Volkanovski for the title, money suddenly matters in a different way. And with the UFC rolling out a new bonus structure starting at UFC 324, the timing couldn’t be more interesting. So, where does Diego Lopes stand financially right now? And how much could that number explode if he shocks the world against ‘The Great’?
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What Is Diego Lopes’ Net Worth in 2026?
Estimating Diego Lopes’ net worth in 2026 isn’t straightforward, and that’s largely because he’s still in the transition phase from cult favorite to potential superstar.
Most reports place his net worth somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million, though even those figures come with caveats. A dominant performance or, better yet, a finish over Volkanovski at UFC 325 could push Lopes into a completely new financial tier almost overnight.
Away from the Octagon, Lopes is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor at the Lobo Gym. And yes, he has even trained and cornered the former UFC flyweight champion, Alexa Grasso. But the amount of money that the Brazilian receives for his training sessions is unknown. But before that, when he came to Mexico, Lopes had to endure quite a bit of financial struggle.
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Back when Lopes and his brother, Thiago Freitas, began their fighting careers, they left their hometown and traveled to Sao Paulo. Therein, they joined Revira Black Team. Since they had no money back then, Coach Vinicius Reviravolta convinced a nearby school to give them a place to stay and eat. However, the change that they saved wasn’t enough to pay the rent, so they had to sleep in the gym. But eventually, the coach moved his gym, leaving Lopes without a place to live.
Soon, he got himself hired by a gym in Playa Del Carmen to teach BJJ. But things came to an abrupt end. Partnering with Alessandro Costa, Lopes decided to start his own gym. But that venture went bankrupt.
Finally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lopes won and defended his championship title at LUX Fight League. Despite running low on money, he was determined to succeed.
Talking to MMA Fighting, Lopes revealed, “I didn’t want to go back to Manaus, I didn’t want to go back to Sao Paulo, I didn’t want to go back to Brazil. I knew that there were many opportunities for me here. When there was nothing for us to eat, we would buy cheap bread and save it for the week. We worked as night club bouncers, we worked as waiters, we worked as gardeners. We went everywhere no matter how much we’d be paid. We had nothing to eat and no money to buy anything.”
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Thankfully, in 2021, the Brazilian got a chance to show his skills at DWCS. A loss pushed him away from a UFC contract. But soon, his performance at Fury FC and LUX Fight League put him back on Dana White’s radar. The bossman gave Lopes a chance to fight Movsar Evloev on short notice at UFC 288, and even though he lost his debut, Lopes impressed the world. More importantly, he impressed White.
Here was a hungry contender who took a fight against a top-ranked title prospect on short notice, pushed him to the limits, and was disappointed in his performance because he did not win. His ‘dream believe and make it happen tattoo’, and his hairstyle were the stuff of memes before the fight, but Fight Night showed he was the real deal. But how much did the featherweight contender earn from his UFC fights?
UFC Payouts and Career Earnings
Lopes began his UFC journey with a base salary of $12K and sponsorships worth $4K. But claiming the $50K worth Fight of the Night bonus got him a sum of $66K at UFC 288. He then went on to fight Gavin Tucker and won via a round-one submission. He got $16K for showing up, and another $16K for the win. This fight got him the Performance of the Night bonus, and he thickened his wallet by an additional $50K.
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At UFC 300, Lopes defeated Sodiq Yusuff with a KO in round 1, and before that, he KOed Pat Sabatini in the first round. Both of these fights got him Performance of the Night bonuses.
MMA: UFC 303-Weigh Ins Jun 28, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Diego Lopes during weigh ins for UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20240628_mjr_su5_068
The UFC knew how strong Lopes was and got him a fight against Brian Ortega at UFC 303. But Ortega got sick, and Dan Ige rushed in to save the day. Yet, Lopes was the one who won via a unanimous decision and earned a base pay of $48K. He fought Ortega at UFC 306 and won with the judges’ decision. He received a paycheck of $75K for showing up for the fight.
Reportedly for his last clash against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314, he received a base salary of $500K, and $42K from brand endorsements, but no win bonus. And speaking of endorsements…
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Diego Lopes’ Endorsements and Sponsorship
As Diego Lopes’ stock keeps rising inside the featherweight division, brands have started lining up outside the Octagon as well. While he may not yet sit in the UFC’s elite pay bracket, his endorsement portfolio tells a different story.
Lopes has partnered with Monster Energy, a familiar name across combat sports, regularly featuring the brand across his social media. He has also worked with Rizz Pharma, signaling an early foothold in the supplement and performance space.
Outside of traditional sponsorships, Lopes has leaned into content-driven partnerships, too. Through Burn Factory, he produces exclusive vlog-style content that gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his training camps and day-to-day grind.
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On the lifestyle side, the Brazilian has collaborated with True Classic, Jaxxon(a men’s jewelry brand), and Santo Studio, a luxury design outfit.
Taken together, these deals may not rival championship-level sponsorships just yet, but they reflect something important: Diego Lopes is no longer just a dangerous contender; he’s becoming a recognizable brand. And with a title fight looming, this list may only be the beginning!
The post What Is Diego Lopes’ Net Worth in 2026? Endorsements, UFC Payouts & More appeared first on EssentiallySports.
