Noche UFC Winners and Losers: Diego Lopes floors Jean Silva with spinning back elbow in San Antonio

One spinning back elbow flipped the San Antonio main event on its head. Diego Lopes detonated a sudden turn-and-fire finish on Jean Silva, snapping the Brazilian’s 13-fight winning streak and reminding the featherweight division why his name keeps popping up on shortlists. The stoppage sent the crowd into a roar and capped a busy night on Noche UFC live on ESPN+.

Lopes’ statement, Garcia’s surge, and a card full of finishes

Lopes didn’t just win—he recalibrated the momentum at 145 pounds. The fight was billed as chaos, and it delivered action from the start. Then came the moment that decided everything: a clean spinning back elbow that dumped Silva to the canvas, followed by rapid-fire punches that forced the stoppage. It’s the kind of highlight that plays for months and shifts matchmaking conversations. For Lopes, it’s a strong rebound and his fifth win in six outings; for Silva, it’s a harsh reset after a long unbeaten run.

In the co-main, Rafa Garcia found the power shot that had eluded him early and didn’t let Jared Gordon off the hook. Garcia planted Gordon with a heavy right hand midway through Round 3 at 2:27, then poured on ground strikes until the referee stepped in. It was decisive, clean, and the kind of late finish that sticks with matchmakers. Garcia’s pressure game travels well, but adding a knockdown-to-TKO sequence against a durable veteran is the sort of upgrade that can move him into stiffer lightweight assignments.

The prelims kept the pace. Alessandro Costa made a statement at flyweight, blasting through Alden Coria with a third-round TKO at 0:47 to improve to 14-5-0. Fast start, faster finish, and a reminder that flyweight punishes lapses. Rodrigo Sezinando didn’t wait around either—he stopped Daniil Donchenko at 4:27 of Round 1 in a welterweight bout that showcased sharp timing and confident shot selection. Montserrat Rendon edged Alice Pereira by split decision after three competitive rounds in the women’s bantamweight division, banking key control stretches and cleaner moments in exchanges.

Not every bout delivered clarity. Rob Font went three hard rounds in a bantamweight contest that went to the judges, and Kelvin Gastelum battled through a full middleweight schedule to a decision as well. The scorecards will tell their stories, but both fights added hard minutes to veteran resumes. Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas ended in a first-round no contest, cutting short a matchup that had intrigue but no result.

Winners and losers: what the night changed—and what it didn’t

• Biggest winner: Diego Lopes. A violent, high-skill finish over a streaking opponent is the fastest way to climb. The spinning back elbow wasn’t luck—it was awareness and daring at speed. Expect a ranked foe next, and a top-10 conversation to follow.
• Rafa Garcia’s stock up. The late TKO of Jared Gordon checks boxes: composure, power carry, and finishing instinct. He’s earned a push up the lightweight ladder.
• Alessandro Costa’s momentum. Third-round TKO at 0:47 and a 14-5-0 mark give him leverage for a name with some shine at 125 pounds.
• Rodrigo Sezinando’s fast start. First-round TKO at 4:27 signals real danger at welterweight. Clean reads, quick hands, and no hesitation.
• Montserrat Rendon’s grit rewarded. Split decisions are razor-thin, but they pay the same in rankings momentum. She banked a tough one at 135.

• Toughest night: Jean Silva. Thirteen straight wins don’t vanish, but the aura took a hit. The task now is to reboot against a durable veteran and rebuild in two fights, not one.
• Jared Gordon’s setback. Getting dropped and finished late is a tough look, especially when durability is your calling card. A recalibration bout makes sense.
• Daniil Donchenko. Getting halted in the first round can snowball if confidence slips. A measured return against a fellow action fighter could steady the ship.
• Alice Pereira. A split decision is a near-miss, but near-misses stack up. Tightening late-round urgency could flip these outcomes.

Featherweight felt the ripple most. Lopes didn’t just notch a win; he secured a clip that sticks in the minds of fans and matchmakers. That matters when the division is crowded with wrestle-boxers and rangy kickers. He showed he can end a fight in a heartbeat, even against an opponent on a long surge. With five wins in his last six, a ranked test next feels right—preferably someone who won’t force a slow-paced chess match.

Lightweight is merciless, and Garcia looked ready for that grind. The right hand that floored Gordon wasn’t wild; it was set up by patient pressure and better reads by the minute. If he can reproduce that timing against opponents with higher output, he becomes a problem inside the top 20.

At flyweight, Costa’s timing and urgency stood out. Finishing at 0:47 of Round 3 after a high-tempo fight speaks to conditioning and killer instinct. That combination tends to age well in a division built on scrambles and footwork.

For the veterans who went long—Font and Gastelum—the tape will matter more than the scorecards. How they managed jab battles, defensive layers, and late-round cardio will shape who they get next. Even without a finish, three-round reps against tricky opponents can be valuable currency.

San Antonio got a card that moved. Multiple stoppages, a main-event highlight that will live on reels, and a slate that stressed exactly how deep this roster runs. The broadcast on ESPN+ captured all of it: the sudden turn in the headliner, the late surge in the co-main, and a few prospects announcing themselves with no extra commentary needed.