Matthew Lopez Wants A Rematch With Rani Yahya

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Matthew Lopez (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) revealed the wants a rematch with Rani Yahya after Yahya beat him by submission in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 91. Here are highlights:

On losing in his debut: “Some people think there’s no real like, ‘Being here the first time in the octagon.’ It’s real. I went out there and I saw the UFC name on top of that little ring and it was still a prelim and there were still 5,000 people out there. And believe it or not, it gets to you. Whether it’s subconscious or not, it gets to you. And by the second round I was tired, so – you can mark my words: I’ll see Rani Yahya again.”

On winning at UFC 206: “It wasn’t scary at all, actually. I felt like I was winning the round, and then I got dropped and I kind of went into autopilot. But it wasn’t scary because I was just fighting. That’s what I do. That’s what my training partners, my coaches – I just fought. (I) got through the round because I have the heart of a champion. I don’t think anybody in this damn planet can take my heart away from me. So when push comes to shove, I’m going to get back out there and fight.”