Diego Lopez knows that all eyes will be on him on Saturday night and he plans to make the most of it.
The UFC rookie will face Pat Sabatini in his third fight inside the Octagon. The two skilled grapplers are scheduled to meet in the opening featherweight bout of UFC 295, Madison Square Garden pay-per-view main card.
Lopez, with a record of 22-6 MMA and 1-1 UFC, understands the significance of his position on this card. Likewise, Sabatini, with a record of 18-4 MMA and 5-1 UFC, aims to make a statement and seize the opportunity for bigger things.
“I think this is a great opportunity and I think it means a lot just to be on the main card,” Lopez said through an interpreter at UFC 295 media day on Wednesday. “I also want to show that my first game wasn’t just luck. I’m built to do big things and I have to show that on Saturday.”
Lopez made his debut on the main card of UFC 288 in May against top contender Movsar Evloev. Despite losing the bout by unanimous decision, he gave Evloev a tough fight despite having fought during the week of the event.
Following this, Lopez secured a quick submission over Gavin Tucker in August, gaining significant attention from his fan base on social media. Despite desiring more, the Brazilian fighter is grateful for the opportunities he has had thus far.
“Everything I’ve experienced in my career has been incredible,” Lopez said. “I’ve really enjoyed everything I went through leading up to the UFC. I’ve been knocking on the door for a long time but for some reason things didn’t work out. I have a lot of fans in Mexico But now the world knows me and the door is open to everything. It’s good to have the love and support from my fans and I’m grateful.”
For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub. UFC 295.
