MMA: Lopez has the pros in mind after lightning-fast start | Tracy Press sports

He has been training mixed martial arts since he was eight and always knew this was the next step. Lopez made his amateur debut while still enrolled at West. He was 2-0 when he graduated and reached his current perfect 5-0 record by the end of the summer. He has three submissions and two knockouts to his name.

With his talent, strong character, work ethic and immense skill — Lopez could easily have entered the fast lane to the pros. After all, that is his ultimate goal. But with a mature head on his shoulders, he is in no hurry.

Lopez was offered a professional contract following his last MMA victory: a third-round submission win over Javier Torres under the 559 Fights banner on September 16, 2023. With that win, Lopez claimed the 559 Fights and CAMO State flyweight championships.

The stage was set for Lopez to take a leap of faith toward his dream, but due to NCAA rules, he chose to stay put and keep the scholarship he worked so hard for.

Turning pro would likely mean the end of his education, at least for a while, and Lopez didn’t want that. He doesn’t want to put all his eggs in one basket. He wants to have options, and as far as hand-to-hand combat goes, time is on his side. If his journey continues as it began, the offer he turned down is just the beginning of things to come.

“I’m looking forward to turning pro after college,” Lopez told the Tracy Press in a phone interview earlier this week. “I’m going to take a couple fights and give it my all and see where that takes me. But obviously I have other avenues I might want to pursue.”

Lopez said he would like to one day open his own MMA gym in Tracy, a city he loves and where people support him.

One thing is for sure, Lopez will be involved in the fight game in some way. From his current position, it’s hard to imagine him being kept out of the pros for long. You can hear the excitement in his voice that he’s eager to test himself at the highest level. But that’s not all that’s on his mind right now.

Lopez is hoping to return to the cage in August after a little less than a year away. A potential championship bout is in the works for UFC legend and Sacramento native Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat promotion.

However, Lopez is also hungry for more as a member of the Menlo wrestling team. Although he was a decorated high school wrestler, Lopez admitted he still had a lot to learn when he arrived on the Oaks campus.

“It was a whole development process,” he said. “They took what I was lacking and really emphasized certain areas to help me improve. It was the first time I had strength and conditioning training and just a solid program to be involved in.

“It’s not like a high school team. It’s a program where everyone works together, does the same things, and gets better together. I think it was a successful first season and I’ll try to push for a good starting position in the future if all goes well.”

Lopez explained how all the good high school wrestlers become basic level competitors on the college circuit. He said it was eye-opening in a way, but by the end of the year he was completely up to speed and the results were starting to show on the mat.

“I just had to learn the tactics, the movements, how to pace myself since the matches are longer,” Lopez added. “Everyone wants it in college and it’s pretty cool to reach those new levels now.”

Lopez said footwork and staying active are some of the biggest differences he noticed between wrestling in high school and college. He said he could sometimes get away with standing still and thinking about his next move in high school — but not at Menlo, where the pace is faster and you always have to be moving.

Lopez also said he agrees with the popular claim that wrestling is the best foundation for transitioning into MMA because the sport teaches you to persevere and never give up.

Lopez also helped by looking up to and training with his older brothers from a young age. He always wanted to be involved with them when they were training MMA and fighting his whole life gave him the confidence he needed to achieve the success he did with West.

Lopez had initially planned to take the entire summer off to relax and recharge after his freshman year of college, but he said he quickly learned that he doesn’t like having too much free time.

A conversation with his coaches shortly after helped set plans in motion to book him for an MMA fight soon. However, after such a dominant start to his amateur career, both Lopez and his team wanted something that would challenge him even more.

If it goes through, Lopez’s next fight will be at bantamweight (135 pounds) — one weight class above his current home weight of 125. The potential move up doesn’t exactly faze the former Wolf Pack star, though. He remains humble about his success and is looking to continue taking opportunities to get better and bolster his resume.

Lopez said it’s easy not to get caught up in your own hype when you have such a solid team around you like he does. He said his coaches always tell him there’s someone better and if he ever thinks he’s the best, that’s the day his downfall begins.

“I really enjoy the moment and I don’t live on yesterday’s battles and blessings,” he added. “Every day is a new day to strive for greatness. That’s my way of staying grounded.”

Another tool Lopez uses to stay motivated is the desire to experience over and over again that unmatched feeling you get when you raise your hand after a win.

“It’s one of the best feelings ever,” he said. “You have the crowd cheering you on, it’s amazing. The process to get there is tough. Losing weight, training three times a day, it’s a lot to put on your body. But I always enjoy the moment and give God the glory because I believe He’s the one who got me where I am today.”