Adrian Yanez eyes first-round KO over Gustavo Lopez to put the bantamweight division on notice

Adrian Yanez knows his entrance to UFC fans couldn’t have gone any better.

Yanez earned his UFC contract with a 39-second KO over Brady Huang on the Contender Series. He followed that up with a first-round KO over Victor Rodriguez in October. Although he has two excellent finishes, he knows he still has work to do and that begins at UFC Vegas 22 against Gustavo Lopez who is an opponent Yanez has wanted for quite some time.

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“I have had my eye on him for a little bit. I watch a lot of other MMA organizations and at one point, I was close to fighting on a Combate Americas card, but I took another route,” Yanez said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Gustavo Lopez was their champion and fought some tough guys. Gustavo Lopez is a tough opponent and I am not taking him lightly. It is one of those things where the fight will finally happen, and it is better now that the fight is in the UFC.”

Although getting two quick KO’s is good to add some hype behind his name, Adrian Yanez also knows that makes opponents less likely to fight him. He also expects Lopez to try and wrestle with him early and often and not want to stand and trade with him.

“I know that is what he will try to do. Going back to my losses, those guys are trying to take me down and neutralize my striking,” Yanez explained. “I’m actually kind of welcoming it because if he takes a shot and messes up, I will land the knockout or get the submission and show off my jiu-jitsu, but I really want the knockout.”

Not only does Adrian Yanez expect to get another KO win against Lopez, but he expects to do it again in the first round.

“Either one, whichever one comes first,” Yanez said. “I know he is a tough out, and I’m ready for three rounds. But, whenever I envision it, I only see it one way and that is a first-round knockout.”

If Yanez gets another knockout he knows he will put the UFC bantamweight division on notice. He also has no problem working his way up and fighting all of them.

“I don’t mind working my way up. I have always been a workhorse. This win will really cement me in the UFC because my last opponent was a short-notice replacement,” Yanez said. “I want the entire division to know that I am coming for all of them. Anyone can and will get it.”

Do you think Adrian Yanez will KO Gustavo Lopez?