Cristopher Lopez will face the first name of note on his ledger when facing former flyweight titleholder Hernan Marquez in Saturday's bantamweight clash at the Estadio de Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Lopez is well versed on what Marquez has achieved in his storied career and expects to fend off the veteran's best efforts in what appears likely to be an exciting fight.

"I respect him enormously for everything he's accomplished in a successful career, but all that respect ends when we're in the ring," Lopez (19-0-2, 13 KOs) told The Ring through promoter Oswaldo Kuchle of Latin KO.

"He's a powerful puncher, very experienced, and I think he'll try to surprise me in the early rounds. I have to withstand his attacks and fight intelligently, but without losing my trademark aggressiveness. I'm not afraid of him, and we'll see who hits who first."

The 28-year-old is eager to make the most of this opportunity.

"I'll do everything in my hands to win, and to do so in the most convincing way possible," he continued. "I want to show that I'm ready to go for a championship belt next year if possible."

"It's a fight that caught my attention since I found out I was going to face a former world champion. I'm very focused on what I have to do. My team is in charge of studying what we have to do, I work on what they tell me. I'm ready to show my level and then, with the win in the bag, talk about what comes next with my promoters."

Lopez has been a professional since March 2016 but his career has taken some time to reach this point.

"Today, I'm a mature fighter at my age, who knows what he wants and is on the path to achieving it," he said.

"My short-term goal is to win the world bantamweight title, make a defense in my hometown of Guadalajara, and then think about breaking into the next division. I think I could be champion in at least three weight classes."

Kuchle, who has previously guided Rey Vargas, Jhonny Gonzalez and Eduardo Nunez amongst others to world glory, believes this is a good test for Lopez, one shaping the next phase of his career.

"It's an interesting fight, between two fighters who like to clash, a classic duel of experience versus youth, and we have a lot of confidence in what 'El Pollo' can achieve in the medium term," said Kuchle.

"He has shown the ability to get into the ring with the best, and we're confident he'll climb even higher in the rankings and we can take him, very soon, to compete for his first world championship. He has very well-defined plans, we're going to achieve them together with my partners Pepe Gómez and Memo Rocha."

Marquez has been a professional since 2005. He won his first 27 fights before surprisingly losing to Richie Mepranum (UD 10) and then to Nonito Donaire (TKO 8).

However, he rebounded strongly to claim the WBA flyweight title, winning a wild affair against Luis Concepción (TKO 11) in April 2011. He made two defenses, including a first-round stoppage in a Concepción rematch before losing to WBO titlist Brian Viloria (KO 12) in a unification in November 2012.

The now 36-year-old warhorse shared the ring in losing efforts against the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada (KO 10) in a shot at his old WBO 112-pound title, old rival Concepcion (UD 12) and Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (KO 3) in October 2018.

Since then, "Tyson" has fought just six times - winning five - including beating Concepción via a 10-round split decision in their fourth encounter. Last time out, he was soundly beaten by future WBA bantamweight titlist Antonio Vargas (UD 10) in October 2023, so this appearance will end a near two-year long layoff.