Nova Uniao's Keweny Lopes chases redemption against Adam Meskini at PFL Brussels

Brazilian featherweight Keweny ‘Leao’ Lopes takes on France’s Adam Meskini at PFL Brussels on Saturday, May 23, seeking his first PFL victory after a TKO defeat to Amin Ayoub in his promotional debut in September 2024. Lopes, 30, trains out of the renowned Nova Uniao academy in Rio de Janeiro and enters the bout with a reputation built on finishing opponents — 75 percent of his career wins have come by KO or TKO.

Meskini arrives as a stern test. The Frenchman has never been stopped in his professional career and is looking to extend his PFL winning streak to three consecutive victories. Lopes, however, still believes the Ayoub stoppage came too early and is determined to prove the result was an anomaly rather than a statement about his level.

The road to Brussels has been far from straightforward. Lopes revealed he fell ill during his eight-week training camp but pushed through with the support of his Nova Uniao coaches. “My training camp was blessed. I had much better planning. I’ve been dreaming of this moment,” he said. “I fell ill during this training camp. We took special measures and kept working. We gathered the best possible information about my opponent. I got better. I’m strong now. And I’m ready.”

Lopes credits head coach Andre Pederneiras and a staff that includes Jose Carlos Dias, Daniel Malvino, Johnny Eduardo, Giovanni Diniz, and Welerson Goncalves for sharpening his jiu-jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing, and no-gi game ahead of the fight.

The fighter’s journey to the PFL is rooted in a childhood defined by hardship. Raised by his grandmother after his family left the city of Pirapora in search of better opportunities, Lopes worked a string of manual jobs before moving to Rio de Janeiro at age 20 to join Nova Uniao. “I’ve been a cook, did laundry, was a janitor, a juice vendor, a stone smith, mechanic and factory worker,” he said. “Thankfully I met some people who broadened my horizons and, through studies, I was able to improve my standard of living.”

He built an 11-fight unbeaten streak across the Brazilian scene between 2016 and 2024 before earning his PFL contract, and he is keen to show that record was no fluke. Saturday’s win, he says, will be dedicated to the woman who raised him. “She’s always supported me in every possible way. She educated me and made me the man I am today. My next win is dedicated to her.”