The build toward UFC 335 is already turning into a prediction contest. According to a post circulating on r/MMA, Robert Whittaker has thrown his support behind Diego Lopes to beat Charles Oliveira when the two meet for the BMF title on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Whittaker himself is coming off a win over Nikita Krylov, a third round TKO on July 11, 2026, and sits ranked eleventh at light heavyweight. According to, another ex-UFC champion has pointed to Lopes as the favorite heading into the clash, and Eddie Alvarez has already described the fight as a collision between a "hurricane and a volcano. Our own model leans toward Oliveira as well, giving him a 63 percent chance against Lopes" 37 percent, a lean rather than a lock. On Elo, Lopes rates higher at 1577 across ten bouts compared to Oliveira's 1507 across seven, which helps explain why fighters like Whittaker are willing to buck the betting line.

Lopes, ranked second at featherweight, enters off a brutal finish of Steve Garcia, stopping him with punches in the second round on June 14. Oliveira last fought on March 7, taking a unanimous decision over Max Holloway. Yahoo Sports reports that Lopes has explained why he specifically wanted this matchup, a fight the UFC ultimately granted him.

Fans are already deep into the debate themselves, with a thread on r/MMA built entirely around the news that Lopes and Oliveira will headline UFC 335. With a title, a betting underdog, and a higher Elo rating all in the mix, this one has plenty of angles before anyone steps into the cage.