Jon Jones is likely to retire after his UFC 309 fight against Stipe Miocic, while Arthur Lopes, a Brazilian heavyweight once nicknamed “Jon Jones,” aims to establish his own legacy by securing a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series.
Jon Jones will “more than likely” retire after his UFC 309 clash with Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16. Meanwhile, the UFC was close to signing another “Jon Jones” through Dana White’s Contender Series.
Arthur Lopes, a Brazilian heavyweight, battles Tallison Teixeira on Tuesday’s DWCS card at the UFC APEX. He was initially nicknamed “Jon Jones” but changed it to “Demolidor” before heading to Las Vegas.
“That was my nickname because our fighting style was kind of similar,” Lopes said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I looked like him at the time, so people started calling me Jon Jones.”
“I hated it at first [laughs], I won’t lie to you,” he added. “But people liked it, so there was no escape.”
Lopes boasts a 6-1 professional record, with all wins by stoppage—five knockouts and one DQ. He chose to shed the nickname to carve out his own identity in the octagon.
“There’s already a Jon Jones,” Lopes stated. “We don’t need to continue someone else’s story. Let’s write a new story—something different.”
“Here comes ‘Demolidor,’” he declared. “We’ll make history, and you’ll all hear about this name for a long time.”
“God willing, I want to build a career better than his,” Lopes continued. “I want to be the best, always. I don’t want to be like him—I want to be fun, athletic, and do new things.”
Lopes started his career back in 2015, winning four of five fights within just over a year. He returned in 2018 to secure two more finishes before temporarily leaving the sport.
He only came back in March 2024, knocking out Daniel Bucher in just 20 seconds. This earned him a shot at DWCS.
“I stayed out for a long time,” said Lopes, who worked as a car mechanic while fighting in MMA. “But decided on Jan. 1st that I would become an athlete again.”
“I worked hard for six months and came out victorious,” he explained. “It’s great to see that I still have wood to burn and live my dream.”
“It’s hard to live as an athlete in Brazil,” he lamented. “Sometimes you even have to pay to fight because the purse is so low it doesn’t cover your costs.”
“I’m a father of four,” Lopes continued. “It was hard to pay the bills with no sponsors or support.”
“I wasn’t paid for my last fight [in 2018], so I just quit fighting.” But fate had other plans.
“I guess God heard one of my prayers of wanting something better,” Lopes said. “So I decided to come back.”
He quit his job as a car mechanic and moved from Uberlandia to Tres Rios to train at ATS ahead of DWCS. He sees Teixeira as a tough but beatable foe.
“[His size] makes no difference to me,” Lopes asserted. “I wanna see if he’s all that.”
“I think he talks too much,” he added bluntly. “Too cocky. Let’s end that [tonight].”
“I’d rather not fight a Brazilian,” Lopes admitted. “But it’s the opportunity I have, so I will walk through anyone to earn my spot in the UFC.”
“I want to win by knockout,” he concluded confidently. “But I’m a black belt in luta livre, and we’ll fight wherever we need to win this. I’m ready for everything.”