This is the UFC 306 live blog for Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes, the featured fight on the pay-per-view main card this Saturday in Las Vegas.

Ortega and Lopes were originally scheduled to fight in at UFC 303 in June, until a series of unfortunate events led Ortega to withdraw from the bout just a few hours before they were set to compete. While that would normally be a catastrophic end, instead Lopes and the UFC found an unprecedented solution: Dan Ige came to the arena and stepped in as a replacement on just a few hours notice.

Lopes ended up winning a decision over Ige, but perhaps more importantly won the hearts and minds of fans for his willingness to fight anyone, at any time, which also made him a darling of the UFC, who promptly granted his wish to re-book this fight for UFC 306.

Check out the UFC 306 featured fight live blog below.

Prefight:

Before this one they reveal the UFC 307 lineup in full and Jose Aldo on the prelims is a sight. Fourth to last, too.

Very excited for this featherweight fight we missed out on in July.

The Sphere shows the Independence Day bell celebration. Super cool.

Here comes Diego Lopes and the crowd is rightfully hyped. How do you not love the guy?

Ortega enters. I would say the same about him but we know that Jed Meshew exists.

Round 1:

Fighters touch gloves and it’s on.

A massive right-left hook combo smashes Ortega early and hurts him bad. Lopes swarms to pursue the finish. Lopes punches away with ground and pound. Ortega looks for any grip to find a submission. Lopes jumps in and gets half-mount and the back of Ortega as they scramble briefly. Lopes stands while Ortega looks for up kicks. Hammerfists from the bottom by Ortega.

Lopes steps away to let Ortega up. Nice jab from Ortega. Uppercut sneaks through for Ortega as he gets back to jabbing. Lopes looks a bit slower after the flurry but lands a nice shovel hook. Overhand right lands for Lopes. Nice calf kick for Lopes. Ortega fires one back. Body hook followed by the left hook lands for Lopes.

30 seconds. Jab from Ortega. Another two-punch combo for Lopes misses, body kick for Ortega. Horn sounds.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for Lopes.

Round 2:

Round 3:

Official Decision:

Post-fight:

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