He found out about the title match in a hot tub in Vegas, then ran over Mack. Magard? I don’t know who he is, says interim champion Lopez

OKTAGON 38 offered an emotionally contradictory climax. The fight for the interim bantamweight title was won by the handsome Gustavo Lopez, while the legend of the domestic scene Filip Macek had to bite his third title loss. What did the American discover say after winning the belt?

A new fish has stirred the waters of the Octagon bantamweight division. And it’s one that even the dreaded Shark should start to worry about. Jonas Magard, who is still the regular champion, may have a big challenge ahead of him.

The Dane was supposed to take on Filip Mack in a title fight at OKTAGON 38, but due to a broken jaw, he will have to take a longer break. Someone else will get the chance. Mostly unknown to our scene Gustavo Lopez, a UFC veteran who was in the world’s top 100 until relatively recently.

It was generally expected that this would not be an easy fight for Mack. After all, experts, fighters and coaches said that Lopez would probably be a tougher opponent than Magard. And these words were confirmed when the American needed less than one round to score the win.

Lopez didn’t really allow Mack anything in the fight. He controlled him on the ground in unprecedented fashion, then took advantage of his mistake and brief hesitation, grabbing a guillotine and forcing a tap with 14 seconds left in the first round.

He found out about the fight in the hot tub. Magard? Who is he?

“I did what I always do. The pressure was on me. I knew Macek was good on the ground and in grappling, but I wasn’t afraid. I have the best coaches, I was well prepared and I believe I am the best,” he expressed at the press conference.

“I was just in the hot tub in Vegas. I was losing weight and I just got a call that I could fight in Europe. I was immediately determined to take it.”

Lopez has won over a lot of fans with his statements and his behavior. He was constantly smiling, appearing confident and humble at the same time. In addition, he was very grateful for the chance, praising how the Octagon took care of him and also the atmosphere at the O2 Arena.

What did he say about the fight with Magarde? “I don’t know who he is at all. He’s got a broken jaw, I’ll let him get ready. I’m even better than I showed against Mack. I’ll be ready for the fight,” promises the new interim bantamweight champion.

Source: Octagon MMA