As Lopes handed his flags to his team, Silva was already staring at his opponent from across the stage. Lopes and Silva locked eyes for a minute and 14 seconds, both men refusing to break eye contact despite security holding them back and Brendan Fitzgerald interviewing Silva.

Despite his incredible success since joining the UFC, Lopes currently finds himself lined as a sizeable underdog heading into Noche UFC. Silva is currently on a 13-fight win streak dating back to 2018, which includes five-straight finishes in the UFC since joining the promotion off of Dana White’s Contender Series.