Diego Lopez plans to demand a rematch with Movsar Evloev after his bout with Sodik Yusaf at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The Brazilian featherweight made his impromptu UFC debut against the undefeated Russian in May 2023 and came close to taking on Evloev, but lost by decision. Lopez has since emerged as a top contender in the UFC with first round submissions of Gavin Tucker and Pat Sabatini and feels he is in a position to request a rematch.
“The goal is clear,” Lopez said on MMA Fighting. Trocassant Franca Podcast. “The goal is to win the fight against Sodik, put in a good performance and ask for a rematch with Movsar Evloev. He is ranked fifth and it is a fight that everyone wants to see again. I'm going to give it my all and he has a game plan focused on me. It's going to be very interesting to watch.”
“I was the one who almost brought him to his knees many times,” he added. “He's not going to get anything because he won the fight, but to put it bluntly, it was me who was always looking for the finish. [My plan is to] If he can win the match with Sodik with a good performance and get him to request a rematch with Movsar Evloev, there is a very good chance that it will happen. ”
Evloev has only fought once since his fight with Lopez, winning by decision over Arnold Allen. Evloev owns an 8-0 UFC record with eight decisions over Dan Ige, Hakeem Dawodu and Nick Lentz. Lopez earned bonuses for all three of his Octagon appearances.
“He can't say no one wants to fight him because I'm here,” Lopez said. “I want to fight him. All I need is an opportunity and a good camp. I know a lot of people in this division don't want to fight him, but [but] i will do it. I want to show that this fight would have been much different if we had a full camp. Given the experience we have gained from previous matches and future matches, this match should be even more exciting than the first.”
For now, Lopez is focused on the job at hand. He plans to become the first man to submit Yousaf, who has won six of eight fights in the UFC and has never finished under the promotion's banner.
“He's a complete player, and he only lost to the best players in the division, Arnold Allen and Edson Barboza, who are legends in the sport,” Lopez said. “It's a good matchup for me because he comes forward looking to finish. So do I. It's going to be a fun match.” Play the right game to get where you want, that's submission. We are prepared for any situation. We plan to add that to Sodik's record as well, as Gavin Tucker has never been submitted before. ”
