Lopez had never heard of the Octagon as a UFC veteran before demolishing Mack, but he can’t speak highly of it. He considers the title, what are his plans?

Gustavo Lopez is the newest star of the Octagon. He accepted a title fight with Filip Mack a few days before and destroyed the Czech fighter in the first round. In an interview with Ruik, he talked not only about that fight, but also about his career, the Oktagon, and his newest challenger, who is none other than Mate Sanikidze.

Growing up poor, he learned to take advantage of every opportunity

Gustavo Lopez is the new star of the Octagon. Not only has he outpointed Filip Mack to become the interim bantamweight champion, but he has also made a great impression on the fans with his demeanor and positivity.

The UFC veteran comes across as overwhelmingly likable and confident. And there’s a reason for that, which is reflected in his life.

“I grew up in really poor circumstances. I always had to work hard and make sure I was in the right place to take advantage of opportunities,” Lopez summed up his life story in a brief interview with Ruik.

One opportunity he didn’t turn down when he first started in combat sports: “I trained at Washington State. I was helping a friend prepare for a fight. They had a fighter drop out of the main event of the night that day and I was asked if I would step in for him. So I accepted and won my first fight by knockout in 7 seconds.”

He had never heard of the Octagon, but he doesn’t hide his excitement. Will he return to the UFC?

Gustavo Lopez worked his way up to the UFC in his career, where he had some tough fights. However, he is now part of the Octagon and his answers show that he is extremely happy. There’s a catch, though. He had never heard of the Czechoslovakian organization before.

“When I was offered the fight, I heard about Oktagon for the first time. However, I was very surprised how fantastically this organization works. I’m excited to watch it grow,” the American let slip.

Overall, this was his first fight outside of America. In addition to the UFC, he has also tried Bellator before. How is Octagon doing in this competition? “The UFC is different, but the Octagon is doing a really great job. My first experience was amazing, I really enjoyed it. The quality of the fights was good, Oktagon delivered some great fights,” he assessed the organization and the OKTAGON 38 tournament.

No wonder he wants to be part of Oktagon in the future. Moreover, knowing that after Germany, the organisation is also planning to head to the UK.

“I want to see what Oktagon has to offer. I’m happy to accept the offer from Europe. Next time I’ll be here a little longer so I can travel after the fight,” he looks forward to the future.

However, if the offer to return to the UFC one day comes, he certainly won’t turn it down. For now, though, he plans to concentrate on the Czechoslovakian organization.

Macek seemed fine. I just showed how much better I am

Filip Macek has countless experience, he is a quality fighter who says he can beat anyone. It just has to fit. That wasn’t the case with Gustavo Lopez, who didn’t give him a chance.

And what’s the worst part of all this? “He actually didn’t prepare for it at all. I just knew he was a great grappler, but deep down I felt I was better. I clearly showed it,” the 33-year-old UFC veteran revealed.

There was a lot of talk about whether Macek had failed in the head again. Lopez, however, seemed fine, he didn’t perceive any problems with him, ” I believe he was ready to try to win, he had the whole camp to do it. They called me up 10 days before the game and I just came in there and showed up. I expected more from him, but it just showed how much better I am.”

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The Octagon title proves I’m one of the best in the world. What’s next?

Gustavo Lopez isn’t going to overdo the celebration of winning the interim title just yet. He returned to training immediately after returning home and hopes to be back in the cage soon. “I want to stay active. Four to six fights could be fun this year,” he looks forward to a busy year.

He has the utmost respect for his new belt. “It’s a big thing. It shows realistically that I am one of the best in the world and that my hard work is paying off,” he is clear.

But right after winning it, he was presented with an interesting challenge. Mate Sanikidze, champion of the featherweight division, took care of it. The Georgian is a friend of Merab Dvalishvili, who defeated Lopez in the UFC, which helped him on his way to the top of the rankings.

Sanikidze wants Lopez to do the same for him and become Georgia’s new national jewel, while “Jonas Magard will be picking up the pieces of his jaw at the games”. “I’ve noted that. If the fight makes sense, we can talk about it,” not ruling out a possible duel.

With Dvalishvili now the No. 3 ranked bantamweight in the UFC, Lopez elaborated on how their fight actually happened and what influenced him to lose. “He’s a tough opponent, but when I fought him, I took the fight 24 hours before it took place. I dropped almost 10 kilograms to make weight to go into the fight,” the American revealed.

“It would have been a completely different fight if I was fresh with the whole camp and losing without rushing. Merab and I train together, if you get a chance, ask him what he thinks of me. I like him, he’s a nice guy,” Lopez concluded the interview.

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