The physical toll this fight takes is obvious. Lopez appeared emotional and exposed as he spoke and made no attempt to hide how much the loss affected him. This is not a fighter passing the buck or rushing to the next chapter. He lingered in despair, repeating variations of the same thought, his tone never turning to comfort.

“For me, it’s about healing and getting back to the drawing board. See if I move up and see what we do next,” Teofimo Lopez said during his speech reporter After the battle. When asked if he could take anything positive away from the show, his response was direct and raw. “No, not at all. I hate myself for it. It’s part of life. I don’t appreciate it. I feel like I’m being slaughtered. I’m just a punching bag.”

This admission was a departure from the usual postgame language. Fighters often talk about disappointment or frustration, but Lopez goes a step further and doesn’t hesitate to turn the criticism inward. There was no attempt to soften the rhetoric or shift the focus. He sat there, letting the discomfort linger rather than rush it away.

The idea of ​​gaining weight came up again, only loosely, without detail or urgency. Lopez has looked less explosive since leaving 135 in 2021, and moving up again sounds less like ambition than distance. It was framed as something to consider rather than something he believed in, and that did little to stabilize the tone of the moment.

“I just never got my fair share,” Lopez continued. “We’ll be back in some way, some form. I’m not trying too hard, I get the decisions we get. I pray you all support me after this.” It didn’t sound like a fighter outlining his next move. It sounds like a person who is struggling with a part of themselves they don’t recognize and isn’t ready to forgive.