why does diego lopez scratch his neck

Diego Lopes (the UFC featherweight) scratches his neck during fights because of an old scar on his throat from a serious childhood accident with a metal construction rod, which now itches when he sweats or gets nervous, so it shows up as a visible tic in the cage.

Why Does Diego Lopes Scratch His Neck?

Quick Scoop

If you’ve watched Diego Lopes fight recently, you’ve probably noticed that constant neck or throat scratch and wondered if something is wrong. It looks dramatic on camera, but it actually has a very personal – and non-dangerous – backstory.

The real reason behind the neck scratch

• As a kid, Lopes had a bad accident involving a steel or construction rod that caught and cut his throat/neck area, leaving a permanent scar.

• When he sweats or gets tense in fights, that scar area starts to itch, so he automatically rubs or scratches his neck – it’s become a lifelong tic.

• He has said in interviews that it’s not a medical problem during the fight, just an annoying itch and a habit he can’t fully get rid of.

Fans on MMA forums and social media spent months spinning theories – from nerves to injuries to weird gameplans – before commentators and Lopes himself explained that it all comes back to that childhood scar.

How it shows up in his fights

• Viewers first seriously picked up on the habit during cards like UFC 303 and Noche UFC 306, where cameras caught him repeatedly scratching his throat between exchanges.

• Commentator Jon Anik later shared that Lopes’ manager confirmed the story: the scar itches when he sweats, so he rubs it almost unconsciously.

• Lopes has mentioned he and his team tried to reduce the tic because it can briefly expose his chin, but it remains part of his natural behavior under pressure.

A typical sequence: he lands a combo, steps back, quickly drags his fingers across his throat or chin area, then jumps right back into the pocket. To viewers it looks odd; to him it’s just scratching an old scar.

Is it dangerous or a health concern?

• Lopes has reassured people that it’s not a new injury or something that puts him at immediate risk in the fight; it’s just the scar flaring up when he sweats.

• The original childhood incident was serious, but he recovered and went on to become a high-level UFC featherweight, so there’s no sign of current functional damage from it.

• The main “risk” is tactical: scratching can briefly open his defense, which is why coaches have tried to help him limit it, especially against elite opponents.

From a viewer’s perspective, it looks like a weird tell; from his perspective, it’s just an itch he has learned to work around.

What forums and trending discussions say

This topic has become a small “inside story” among MMA fans:

• On MMA and UFC subreddits, fans repeatedly asked if the scratching meant he was hurt, gassing, or had some neurological tic, until other users posted the explanation about his childhood accident and scar.

• Articles and fight previews now often mention his neck scratch as one of his signature quirks, right alongside his aggressive striking and slick submissions.

• Some social clips joke about it or float playful theories (like mosquito bites or superstition), but the confirmed reason across reputable MMA outlets is the old throat/neck scar that itches under fight conditions.

So if you see “why does Diego Lopez scratch his neck” trending around a UFC card this year, the short answer is: it’s not a new injury or meltdown – it’s a decades-old scar reminding him it’s still there.

Quick recap (TL;DR)

• Diego Lopes scratches his neck because of a childhood accident that left a scar on his throat.
• The scar itches when he sweats or gets nervous, so he rubs it as a reflex during fights.

• He has said it’s not medically serious now, just an ingrained tic that occasionally worries fans who don’t know the backstory.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.