UFC featherweight prospect Diego Lopes expects his upcoming fight against Nigeria’s Sodiq Yusuff to be his toughest test yet.

Despite being unranked, Lopes’ explosive fighting style and charisma have made him a rising star in the UFC. His popularity soared after he submitted Gavin Tucker (armbar) and knocked out Pat Sabatini.

Also read: Sodiq Yusuff aims to bounce back against Diego Lopes at UFC 300

However, both his UFC wins came against unranked opponents. Yusuff, on the other hand, is a ranked fighter looking to bounce back from a close decision loss in his last fight, where he nearly finished his opponent in the first round.

Lopes, aiming for his third straight win, recognizes Yusuff’s talent and is excited for the challenge. He even called out Yusuff for a fight after his win over Sabatini last year.

“I really like the opportunity. I like the fight because he’s a tough guy – one of the best guys in the division,” Lopes said at the media day for UFC 300.

“I said this: If you want to be a champion, you have to fight the biggest guys, the toughest guys in the division, and last year, during an interview, people asked me, who would you like to fight? I said Sodiq or Alex Caceres, and there you go. They got me him, so I’m very happy about the opportunity.”