When it comes to hairstyles in the UFC, the variety is wild! We have seen Dan Hardy rock that ‘Punk Rock Hawk,’ Chuck Liddell donning the iconic ‘Ice Hawk,’ and Uriah Faber pull off the iconic ‘Blond Ambition.’ A fighter’s hairstyle has gone hand-in-hand with their personality and that hasn’t changed a bit. In today’s era, Paddy Pimblett’s bowl cut has taken on a life of its own, becoming part of his brand. And now, Diego Lopes is riding that same wave. The Brazilian title challenger didn’t just turn heads with his wild fighting style, his hairstyle played a big part too.
As his popularity grew, more and more fans started noticing that signature look. It became his trademark, a simple but bold way to stand out in a stacked UFC roster. For the unversed, the dynamo has stuck with that same hairstyle since he was eight. And he’s not planning to change it anytime soon! For Lopes, it’s personal and it’s part of his brand. It’s his way of leaving a mark, both in the cage and in the memory of the fans.
This sentiment was expressed by the UFC 314 title challenger. In an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show back in 2023 with his Lobo Gym teammate and 115lbs contender Loopy Godinez, Lopes revealed some interesting things about his hairstyle. The Brazilian title challenger spoke in Spanish which was translated by Godinez, “He has this hair since he was 8, it’s something personal. He just likes this style. He doesn’t mind, it’s just funny to see, it’s part of the game you know, part of it being in the mix with all of these. He really likes it right now, but usually he lets it to be little bit long, but once he starts feeling weird he just cuts it.”
Continuing the interpretation, “He will never do that (change hairstyle) because it’s his mark in the UFC you know, he thinks he’s gonna keep it for it whole career. It’s hard to have a spot because he travels so much, he has people that he trains, teammates, but he’s always struggling, he just goes and sees where he looks better.”
Style doesn’t always scream personality. Sometimes, it’s more about glory. When a fighter pulls off something big, that style can become iconic. Diego Lopes knows exactly what that feels like. He’s about to step into the biggest fight of his career at UFC 314 against none other than Alexander Volkanovski. If he pulls off the upset and beats one of the greatest to ever do it, that Emo-Hawk he’s been rocking since he was eight years old, won’t just be a haircut it’ll become a symbol of victory.
Sure, Lopes is just one win away from turning that hairstyle into an icon, but let’s be real, not everyone’s a fan of the flashy Emo-Hawk. And his opponent, ‘The Great’ hasn’t stayed quiet about it either. He’s already shared his thoughts on Lopes’ hair, and let’s just say he’s not buying the hype.
Alexander Volkanovski is not fond of Diego Lopes’ hairstyle
Alexander Volkanovski isn’t just known for his legendary featherweight run or his skills in the kitchen, he also has been owning that clean-shaven dome like a true king, just like GSP did back in the day. The former featherweight champion had hair early in his UFC career, but after that second fight with Max Holloway, he started shaving his head. Now, it’s all about bald ‘Volk’ and honestly, it suits the reign he’s built.
The 145-pound legend, as a former hair owner thinks that his opponent Diego Lopes’ hair is alright but he’s not fond of it. At the UFC 314 early press conference, he said, “I don’t think it was unkind words, I was just saying that he had the mullet and the back and at the front it was just a whole different vibe, and it started getting to.”
The Aussie ace also noted that Lopes’ haircut made him look like the lead singer from a mid-2000s emo band. And the former champ made this even funnier as he proceeded to sing the Second Serenade’s ‘Fall for You’ song.
It was definitely unexpected, but it was a fun experience for Alexander Volkanovski to break out into song during a press conference. This leads us to a question: What do you think of Diego Lopes’ hairstyle? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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