MMA: Tony "Kryptonite" Lopez, Previewing His 3 Fights in 15 Days

You might know Tony "Kryptonite" Lopez from MTV's Bully Beatdown show, hosted by Jason "Mayhem" Miller. Or, you might know him for the work he has done inside of the MMA ring.

Regardless of how you know him, Tony Lopez is stepping up to the plate and fighting an amazing three times in only a 15-day span. To think, this is an era where the majority of fighters compete only three times in a single year and Lopez is attempting this feat in just barely over two weeks.

Now, you might be thinking to yourself that he must be fighting some really unknown fighters, but that is where you are mistaken. All but one of his opponents are widely known to the majority of MMA fans while the combined record for his three opponents is 92-29. If Lopez is successful against all three, he could land a contract from a major MMA organization.

For those of you who do not know Tony Lopez, he is a veteran of the sport and was the "King of the Cage" Heavyweight and Light-Heavyweight Champion. Lopez has the rare distinction of holding both titles simultaneously while going on a remarkable 16 fight win streak.

Lopez has a record of 24-7, beating fighters such as Kyle Kingsbury and Joey Beltran along his journey as a mixed martial arts fighter.

Here is a look at the fighters that Tony Lopez will be facing in his 15-day stretch.

Buddy Roberts

First up on July 9th is team Jackson MMA representative Buddy Roberts in a lightweight bout.

Roberts started his MMA career by first training with Ken Shamrock at the Lion's Den and moving on since to develop as a fighter.

Roberts is a rising mixed martial arts fighter that has posted a record of 10-2 while demonstrating himself as a well rounded and explosive fighter that can mix it up or grapple.

Roberts is on a four-fight win streak while going 9-1 in his last 10 fights. He has notched four wins by form of knockout, five wins by submission and one by decision.

This will definitely be the toughest fight to date for the Greg Jackson-trained Roberts. A win over a fighter of Lopez's caliber could earn him a contract with a larger MMA promotion. 

This fight will be equally important for Lopez, as he is looking to build some much needed momentum for his upcoming fights. He is looking to start off with a win.

Ricco Rodriguez

On July 15th, Lopez will face Ricco Rodriguez, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion, just seven days after his first fight with Buddy Roberts.

Rodriguez is on an 11-fight win streak and is trying to fight his way back into the UFC with an impressive showing at light-heavyweight. Rodriguez has a record of 46-11 and is only 33 years of age.

Rodriguez has notable wins over Travis Fulton, James McSweeney, Paul Buentello, Jeff Monson and Andrei Arlovski, along with a title win over Randy Couture.

Lopez will be in for a tough challenge here. This fight is a very big opportunity for him to make a statement as he looks to earn the attention of the MMA community and a contract to display his skills where more fans are likely to see them.

If he is able to get by Roberts, who is a well-rounded fighter, he then has to get by the BJJ black belt, submission specialist in Rodriguez.

And if that isn't difficult enough, he still has another obstacle to overcome.

Gilbert Yvel

Lopez is running the gauntlet as he goes from fighting a well-rounded fighter to a submission fighter, and then on to a power striker. On the 15th night, Tony Lopez will face the hard-hitting Gilbert Yvel, which takes place on July 23rd.

Not only will it be his third fight in 15 days, but it is also at heavyweight under Pride rules. The "largest" obstacle is last, so to speak.

If Lopez has been successful up to this point and is able to take out Yvel, you could almost guarantee that a large company would be calling for his services, whether it be Strikeforce or the UFC.

Yvel is 36-16 with 31 wins by a form of knockout. He was recently released from the UFC after his last loss to Jon Madsen.

Yvel will be looking to turn his luck around by notching an important win over Lopez as he tries to re-establish himself as a big-organization fighter.

Conclusion

Tony Lopez will be fighting some of the most important fights of his entire career in this stretch; it would be difficult for any fighter to do what Lopez is attempting in only a 15-day span. He is also fighting against some highly regarded fighters who opponents game-plan and train for months to focus on.

If he is able to get through such a daunting task and is indeed successful, I hope that he will be rewarded for his efforts.

If he is not able to string together these victories, his hopes of making it to the big leagues of MMA are all but history.

With all of that being said and the challenge ahead, good luck to you, Tony Lopez. I hope that you can seize your dream and make it a reality.