Diego Lopes wanted to make a statement in the featherweight division, and even though he didn’t get a win when it looked like he was close to it, he can consider mission accomplished at UFC 306.

Lopes (26-6 MMA, 5-1 UFC) defeated former title challenger Brian Ortega (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) on the main card of UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas with a dominant unanimous decision victory on all scorecards, including a 30-26.

Lopes had Ortega hurt in the first round and was not letting up. But when the opportunity presented itself to get Ortega back on his feet, the Brazilian decided to keep the fight mostly on the mat. That gave Ortega a chance to get through the first round after referee Jason Herzog gave him a little more space.

But even though Ortega stayed in the fight and stayed out of immediate danger for the final ten minutes, it was Lopes who rose to the shortlist in the UFC’s 145-pound division with his fifth consecutive win.

The latest results from UFC 306 include:

• Diego Lopes defeated Brian Ortega by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Esteban Ribovics defeated Daniel Zellhuber by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Ronaldo Rodriguez defeated Ode Osbourne by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Norma Dumont defeated. Irene Aldana by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Ignacio Bahamondes defeated. Manuel Torres via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:02
• Ketlen Souza defeats Yazmin Jauregui by technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:02
• Joshua Van defeated Edgar Chairez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Raul Rosas Jr. defeated Aori Qileng by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.